To Wish Impossible Things
by darling so it goes
Summary: Izzy Brannen thought she was destined for an ordinary life. But one day, she went to the moon. The next thing she knew, she was traveling the stars with the Doctor in his wonderful TARDIS. Maybe eventual Doctor/OC.
1. Smith and Jones and Who?

**Disclaimer: **Someday,there'll be a clever disclaimer up here, but for now I will get to the root of it. I do not own Doctor Who. Any and all direct quotes from the show belong to the writers. Izzy and her general silliness, however, belong to me. Enjoy.

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_I hate hospitals_. Izzy huffed, blowing her bangs up in boredom before they settled back down again just above her eyes. She lifted her right arm and glared daggers at the neon-casted wrist that was the reason for her stay at Royal Hope Hospital and her subsequent discomfort. She flopped her head down on the hospital bed's pillow and screwed up her eyes in frustration.

"Now then, Mr. Smith, a very good morning, and how are you feeling?"

Izzy opened her eyes and stared in the direction of the speaker. Her newest source of entertainment seemed to be hidden on the other side of the curtain.

"Oh, not so bad. Still a bit, y'know—Blehhh," the patient Mr. Smith responded.

"John Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains - Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me." The snooty older gentleman's voice came again.

A new voice, female, quieter, joined the group. "It wasn't smart you running around like that."

"Sorry?"

"On Chancellor Street, came up to me and took off your tie."

"Really?" Mr. Smith asked, perplexed. "What'd I do that for?"

"I dunno," the student called Jones answered, "You just did."

"Not me, I was here, ask the nurses."

"That's weird, it looked like you." Izzy listened, slightly amused. It was like listening to a movie—she wished she could see the expressions to go along with the words. "Maybe, it could be a brother or something?"

"Nope, not anymore. Just me." Smith answered.

"As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones." The man reminded, his tone withering.

"Sorry," Jones mumbled.

There was a long pause, and again Izzy wished she could watch the scene. "I weep for future generations, but are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?"

Another pause. "Um… I don't know, stomach cramps?" Miss Jones added as an afterthought.

"That's a symptom not a diagnosis." The older man pointed out. "And, you failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart…" She heard the sound of him picking up the chart before the sudden dropping of it on Mr. Smith's bed.

"That happened to me this morning." Miss Jones said.

"I had the same off the door handle," came another younger male voice.

"And me in the lift." A female student added.

"Only to be expected." The old doctor said, unconcerned. "There's a thunder storm moving in. Lighting being the form of static electricity, as first proven by… anyone?"

_Benjamin Franklin, _Izzy answered in her head.

"Benjamin Franklin," Mr. Smith supplied.

"Correct," the man seemed ready to say more, but Mr. Smith cut him off eagerly.

"My mate Ben!" The patient said happily. "That was a day and a half ago, and I got rope burns off that kite. And then I got soaked."

Izzy giggled behind her hand, even though no one could see her. This man Smith seemed a bit quirky, and she wished she could meet him, someday. Being a bit odd herself, she was sure they'd make fast friends.

"… Quite."

"And _then_, I got electrocuted!" Mr. Smith continued energetically.

"Moving on…" As the man and his group of students moved away, Izzy could faintly hear him mutter: "I think a visit from the Psychiatric." Izzy laughed quietly, glad for the distraction.

_Well, Mr. Smith, have fun with Psychiatric. I'm outta here._ She was sick of sitting here and waiting for the nurses to release her. She was fine already! It was just a broken wrist, and they had already given her a cast and a prescription for pain medication. What else did she need?

She carefully lifted herself off the bed, looking around for any nurses to catch her. The coast was clear, the nurses had too many other things to worry about, lucky for her. Grabbing her clothes next to the bed, she quickly shuffled across the room to the door, her arms rigid as they swung, making her look almost comical.

Had she looked back, she might have noticed a curious pair of brown eyes following her escape.

Izzy dove quickly into a supply closet. Not that she expected hospital security to be at all tight, especially for her, but why risk it? She changed into her favorite fitted blue jeans and a soft grey v-neck Frank Sinatra t-shirt before pulling her shoulder-length dark hair into a messy bun and whipping back out of the closet. She strolled casually in her favorite royal blue Chuck Taylors. It was comforting to shed the patient persona. Well, except for the neon green cast on her left wrist. All she had to do now was walk out the door like a free woman. She just… had to go down a few stories first. _Oh hell, I hate elevators, too._

Passing past the patients' lounge, she was startled out of her revelry by the curious appearance of the rain on the other side of the balcony doors. The rain appeared to be travelling up the glass. She walked slowly closer, until she could touch the doors in wonder.

_Now I know the weather's weird here in the UK, but surely that's a bit past normal._ Suddenly, the building began to shake and she was knocked to the ground, landing unfortunately on her casted-but-still-injured wrist. Wincing from the pain, Izzy curled up as much as she could while bracing the other hand on the door. The building continued to shake and thrash more violently than any earthquake she had ever experienced.

And then it stopped. The sound of objects falling and the startled screams of the patients quieted down as everyone got their bearings. An awed hush settled over the building, and Izzy pulled herself upright. Looking out the glass, what she saw made her ache for her camera.

Past the grey and faintly lit moonscape shone the earth. Quickly squashing down and saving her curiosity as to how the building ended up on the moon for later, she took the door handle and gently pushed. Though when at first she saw where she was she feared for the air supply, the logical part of her brain reminded her that since the hospital was not air tight, if there wasn't something already keeping the air in, she would already be choking.

The hospital started to scream. Howling, desperate, hopeless screams, and Izzy quickly closed the door to cut off the noise. The action had the desired effect.

Izzy turned away from the door and breathed deeply. The sight before her was breathtakingly beautiful. The photographer inside of her was cursing at the lack of a camera. _I bet _National Geographic_ would pay anything to get pictures of this._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a man and a woman at the door. Izzy moved against the wall, keeping herself from view.

The pair opened the doors, facing the Earth and missing Izzy's tiny figure against the wall.

"We've got air." The woman breathed, and Izzy immediately recognized her as one of the students she heard earlier. "How does that work?"

"Just be glad that it does." The man responded.

"I've got a party tonight. My brother's twenty first. My mother's gonna be really…" Miss Jones trailed off.

"Are you okay?" The man asked her softly.

"Yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"Want to go back in?" The man offered.

"No way. I mean, we could die at any minute, but all the same…" She smiled. "It's beautiful."

Izzy chose this moment to step in. She had planned on letting them pass and figuring out what was going on by herself, but these two seemed to be the most aware in the hospital.

"It really is wonderful, standing here in the earthlight. That's what you call it, right? Earthlight?" Izzy pondered, more to herself than anything since the pair was staring at her with shocked expressions.

"Hi, sorry, I'm Isolde Brannen. You can call me Izzy." She held out her hand to the tall man, who she now recognized as Mr. Smith. "I was just standing there by the wall. Didn't want to disturb," she added with smile. "Pardon me for asking, but since you two seem the most level headed people in this current situation, I was wondering if you know what is going on?" Her tone was polite as the man took her hand with an odd look on his face.

"Oh, American."

"Irish, actually. Dropped the accent since I've lived just outside New York City most of my life. I've been living here with my cousin—well not _here_ here, but you know, in London—for 5 years now." She turned to Miss Jones.

The woman in the doctor's coat shook out of her stunned state and took Izzy's hand. "Martha Jones. What were you doing out here?"

"Same as you, I suppose—checking the why-are-we-not-dying-from-lack-of-oxygen anomaly." She said with a small smile. "And really, that's wonderful, the whole not-dying thing. I would hate to die in a hospital. Not that your hospital isn't brilliant, or anything, I mean, really—what other hospitals to you know have teleported to the moon? Still, I _really_ don't like hospitals." She paused looking out at the surface, her gaze distant. "Anyway, sorry if I'm rambling," she snapped back into focus, "back to my question—what do you think happened?" She moved to lean against the side next to Martha.

"What do you think?" The man countered, addressing Martha.

Martha paused. "Extraterrestrial. Got to be. I dunno, a few years ago that would have sounded mad. But these days, spaceship flying into Big Ben. Christmas. And those Cybermen things, that battle in the sky…" Martha paused again. "I had a cousin, Adeola. She worked at Canary Wharf. Never came home."

"I'm sorry." He said. He almost seemed guilty, like he blamed himself.

"Yeah."

"I was there, in the battle, it was…"he trailed off. It seemed a story for another time.

"I promise you Mr. Smith, Izzy, we'll find a way out." Mr. Smith looked around and Izzy watched. Martha continued. "If we can travel to the moon, then we can travel back. There's got to be a way."

"It's not Smith. That's not my real name." He walked over to the other side of the balcony and looked over the edge.

"Who are you, then?"

"I'm the Doctor."

"Me too, if I ever pass my exams. What is it then, Dr. Smith?"

The Doctor walked to the other side. "Just the Doctor."

Martha looked confused. "How d'you mean, just the Doctor?"

The Doctor looked over, obviously confused as to why this was a difficult concept. "Just… The Doctor."

"What? People call you 'The Doctor'?"

"Yeah."

"Well I'm not. As far as I'm concerned, you've got to earn that title." He raised an eyebrow and looked questioningly over at Izzy.

"The Doctor, Mr. Smith, whatever floats your boat." She said to his eyebrow. He looked back down at the floor.

"I better make a start then." He picked up a small chip from the floor. "Let's have a look then. There must be some sort of…" He chucked the pebble out over the balcony.

_Zzing._

Izzy watched the space in front of her ripple blue before fading again. "Force field." The Doctor muttered. "Keeping the air in."

"Wait…" Izzy said. "If that's a force field holding the air that means this is all we have…" She turned to the Doctor. "What happens when it runs out?" She had guessed, but she wished that just this time she was wrong.

"How many people are in this hospital?" The Doctor addressed Martha.

"I dunno, um… a thousand…?"

"One thousand people, suffocating." _Dammit, I'm still going to die in a hospital._

"Why would anyone _do_ that?" Martha asked in complete disbelief.

A sudden loud engine sound alerted them. The three turned to see three cylindrical ships flying over the hospital. "Heads up. Ask 'em yourself."

They watched as the cylindrical-ish ships settled a little ways away from the building. The screaming hospital hushed as everyone crowded toward the window to watch. Ramps lowered ominously and rows of marching little figures rapidly approached the building.

Martha's eyes opened wide. "Aliens. That's… aliens. Real proper aliens."

"Judoon." The Doctor said.

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The Doctor rushed to the second floor to look at the scene below, Martha and Izzy just behind. Izzy settled down next to the plants, looking through the glass. The Doctor kneeled so close behind her that she could feel his breath down her neck.

The Judoon marched into the hospital, causing the panicking patients to cower in fear. They looked humanoid, but Izzy couldn't tell under their oddly shaped helmets and all that studded leather. The Judoon at the head of the group twisted a clasp at his neck. A hiss escaped as he lifted the helmet up and over his head, which appeared to be the face of a rhino.

"Bo! Sco! Fo! Blo! Co! Sho! Ro!" The helmetless Judoon called. The other leather-clad rhinos lifted their guns to the patients.

One of the med students stepped forward. "Um… We are citizens of planet Earth. We welcome you in peace." The Judoon turned to him backing the brave/stupid man into the wall. He lifted what appeared to be a small red flashlight and put it to the man's mouth. "No, don't hurt me, I was trying to help, I'm sorry, don't hurt me, please don't hurt me."

The Judoon lifted up the flashlight. He pressed a button and the playback of the man's plea could be heard. The soldier fit it to his chest through a small plug-like thing. A second passed before the Judoon spoke in a deep guttural voice. "Language assimilated. Designation: Earth English. You will be cataloged."

The Judoon lifted the device to the student's forehead. A blue light shone, and the Judoon paused before hearing a beep. He spoke in the rough voice, "Category: Human." He took the male's hand and flips the device over. He then drew an 'X' on the back of his hand. He turned to the soldiers and ordered: "Catalogue all suspects!"

"Look down there, you got a little shop. I like a little shop." Izzy could hear his smile rather than see it, and she gave one in return.

"Never mind that," Martha said, trying to be the sensible one. "What are Judoon?"

"They're like police. Well, police-for-hire. They're more like interplanetary thugs."

"They look like Roman-biker-rhinos—all big on the glorified skirts and excessive leather and… horns. Well, I don't suppose the horns are optional. They're the ones that brought us to the moon?" Izzy asked.

"Neutral territory. According to Galactic law, they've got no jurisdiction over the Earth. So they isolated it. That rain, and lighting, that was them. Using a H2O scoop."

"What are you on about, Galactic law? I mean, where d'you learn that from?" Izzy had been wondering the same, but she followed the Doctor to get a better view. Martha got no answer.

"If they're police, are we under arrest? Are we trespassing on the moon, or something?" Martha joked.

"No. But I like that! Good thinking. No, wish it were that simple. They're making a catalogue, which means they're looking for something non-human. Which is very bad news for me."

"Why?"

The Doctor looked over to Martha. Izzy just watched the exchange.

"Oh you're kidding me." The Doctor only raised an eyebrow. "Don't be ridiculous…" Izzy had to admire that raised eyebrow. There was talent in that eyebrow. "Stop me looking at me like that."

"Come on, then." The Doctor said, and took off at a jog around the corner. Martha and Izzy followed quickly after.

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They came to the 6th floor entrance and burst through the door. Patients and doctors alike were crumpled against the walls, hugging each other in utter hopelessness. The Doctor just weaved through them, keen to get where he was going. Izzy and Martha followed as close as they could. Izzy's short legs had a frustratingly more difficult time jumping over the legs of the miserable people in the way.

They finally reached the nurses' station. The Doctor flew to the nearest computer and the Irish girl stood by, watching the door. Martha stayed outside to check on the Judoon's progress.

The Doctor slid into a chair and took out an odd metal stick thing with a blue end. Martha joined them."They've reached the third floor." The med student paused, looking incredulously at the Doctor's metal wand. "What's that thing?"

"Sonic screwdriver." The Doctor answered, intently watching for results from the computer.

"Well if you're not going to answer me properly—"

"No, really it's a screwdriver. And it's sonic. Look!" He spun around and lifted the device to her face.

Martha smiled sarcastically, "What else have you got? A laser spanner?"

"I did, but it was stolen by Emmeline Pankhurst, cheeky woman." Martha's joking smile fell, and Izzy laughed quietly. Really, their interactions would make a great TV show. "What's wrong with this computer?"He smacked the monitor angrily. He continued in more hushed voice, "The Judoon must've locked it down. Judoon Platoon, upon the Moon." He stroked his long face and ran his hands through his already wild hair, effectively sticking it up in entirely new directions, causing Izzy to smile."'Cause, I was just traveling past, I swear, I was just wandering around, I wasn't looking for trouble, honestly, I wasn't. But I noticed plasma coils around the hospital—" he allowed, "like that lighting, that's a plasma coil, it's been building up for two days now—so I checked in. I thought something was going on in the inside. Turns out the plasma coils were the Judoon, up above."

"But… What are they looking for?" Izzy pressed, trying to look over his shoulder.

"Something that looks human, but isn't."

"Like you, apparently." Martha said.

"Like me, but not me." He turned to glance at Martha directing his attention back to the computer.

"Haven't they got a photo?" Izzy asked.

"Might be a shape-changer." Izzy glanced at the screen as the Doctor rapidly clicked through the files.

"Well, whatever it is, can't you just leave the Judoon to find it?" Martha asked.

"If they declare the hospital guilty of harboring a fugitive… They'll sentence it to execution."

"What, all of us?" Martha looked affronted.

"Oh yes." The Doctor answered.

"Doctor, you might be clicking too fast for me, but it seems like all those files are blank. What happened?—all hospitals should have full records of their patients."

"Oh!" Both women jumped back as the Doctor yelled at the computer. "You see! They're thick! Judoon are thick! They're so completely thick! They've wiped the records! Oh that's clever."

"What are we looking for?" Martha asked.

"I don't know," he responded running his hands through his hair again. "Say, any patient admitted in the past week with unusual symptoms." He grabbed the computer the view the back. "Maybe there's a back up."

"You keep working. I'll go ask Mr. Stoker, he might know." Martha backed away through the doors and off into the hall.

Izzy watched the Doctor fiddle with the computer. She backed away to give him more room, but instead ended up tripping over a chair, landing roughly on the linoleum floor. Unfortunately, she had caught herself on her hands, causing the previously forgotten injury to flare up in pain. She curled herself inwards a little, trying to hide her grimace from the Doctor.

"I wonder if they're too busy to fill my prescription now," she said after recovering, earning a small smile from the Doctor, even though when he looked over at her she saw a lingering look of concern. "They say you're not supposed to run in these things. You sir, are aiding and abetting a very rebellious hospital patient," she smiled at him, laughter in her bright blue eyes. "Although, I really don't see how that logic works. I mean, broken wrist equals nonfunctioning legs? Well, they aren't gonna stop me from running around with _you_—I was the fastest sprinter in my school, so don't let these tiny legs fool you." She gestured grandly to her lower half, which was still sitting on the floor, "I could keep up with your noodle-y self any day," she challenged jovially.

The Doctor finished his fiddling and turned around to her with a wide smile. "We might get to test that theory yet." He held up his screwdriver. "Come on, let's find Martha."

The pair had only just reached the hall when Martha promptly ran into the tall man. "I've restored the back-up."

Martha ignored him and looked urgently behind her. "I've found her."

"You did what?" Doctor and Izzy chorused simultaneously.

A tall man in full leather biker get-up crashed through the door behind Martha.

"What?" Izzy gasped, just before the Doctor grabbed her hand.

"Run!" he exclaimed, grabbing Martha as well.

The three took off down the corridor, running through the people to the stairway. Before they could continue to the next floor down though, they were blocked by the Judoon coming up the stairs. Biker to their backs, the Doctor pushed them down another hallway. Never stopping as they turned corner after corner, Izzy was proud to be able to keep up with a man a foot taller than her. Martha in her work heels was not doing as well, and Izzy couldn't blame her. It hurt to run in those, and they certainly were running plenty.

The biker almost upon them, the trio reached an open door. The Doctor swung Martha in and stopped Izzy with his body before moving them both inside. He closed the door quickly and pointed at the door handle with his screwdriver until the blue end lit up. The bolt made a locking sound, and the Doctor pushed the girls to the glass shielded booth inside the room.

He grabbed the x-ray machine and poked around it with the sonic. "When I say 'now', press the button."

"But how do we know which one?" Martha called to him. The sound of the biker hitting the door could be heard over the screwdriver's buzz.

"Then find out!" He answered. Martha grabbed a binder labeled 'Instruction Manual.' Both she and Izzy flipped through the pages, frantically searching for any clue.

_Wham! _The leather-clad biker had made it through.

The Doctor turned the machine towards the intruder. "Now!" On a complete hunch, Izzy pressed the largest button. _Always press the big yellow button._ _Or was that never press the big yellow button?_

A bright light flashed through the room. Martha ducked her head and Izzy squinted through the glass. She glimpsed flashes of the Doctor's skeleton, but none in the leather man. The flashing ended and the girls blinked the brightness out of their eyes. The previously shuddering biker stiffened, before falling to the ground.

The room was silent. Finally Martha spoke, "… What did you do?"

"Increased the radiation by 5000%. Killed him dead." The Doctor answered.

"But isn't that going to kill _you_?" Izzy asked, her tone concerned.

"Nah, only Rontgen radiation. We use to play with Rontgen bricks in the nursery." He was met with disbelief from the both of them. "It's safe for you to come out now. I've absorbed it all."

The tall, blue-suited man began to shudder and hop. "All I need to do is expel it. If I concentrate I can shift the radiation out of my body and into one spot—say, my left shoe."

His picked up said foot and started to shake it. "Here we go, here we go, easy does it. Out, out, out, out, out. Out, out, ah, ah, ah—itches, itches, itches. Ow, ow." The Doctor took his left shoe—sock and all—and threw it into the yellow waste bin. "Done."

"You're completely mad." Martha said.

"You're right—I look daft with one shoe." And took off his second shoe and threw it into the bin. "Barefoot on the moon." He flexed his toes and clicked his teeth.

Izzy was grinning wildly, right hand on her hip. "Oh, I like you!" The Doctor responded with a pleased grin, and Martha just blinked incredulously between them.

"So what is that thing, where's he from, planet Zivirax?" Breaking the moment, Martha walked over to the fallen man. The Doctor lowered himself, balancing on his now-bare feet. Izzy joined them, looking into the helmet for the face of the thing they just killed.

"Just a Slab, they're called Slabs. Basic slave drones, see…?" He reached out and grabbed the arm. "Solid leather all the way through." Izzy touched it as well, feeling no give from the material. "Someone's got one hell of a fetish." Her big smile was back, showing off perfect white teeth.

"But it was that woman, Mrs. Finnegan, it was working for her. Just like a servant." Martha pressed.

The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver, his expression horrified when he saw that the front half was fried and corroded beyond repair.

"My sonic screwdriver…"

"She was one of the patients, but…" Martha continued.

"Oh no, my sonic screwdriver!" the Doctor cried, obviously distressed.

"She had this straw like some sort of vampire." Martha attempted to get through to him once more.

"I love my sonic screwdriver!"

"Doctor!" Martha called.

The Doctor turned, finally focused on her, and threw the screwdriver over his shoulder. "Sorry," then grinned. "You called me Doctor."

"Anyways…" Martha reminded him. "Mrs. Finnegan seems to be the alien. She was drinking Mr. Stoker's blood."

"Funny time to take a snack; you'd think she'd be hiding… Unless," Something dawned on him. "No. Yes. That's it, wait a minute… Yes!" His sudden exclamation caused Izzy to jump. "Shape-changer, _internal_ shape-changer. She wasn't drinking blood, she was _assimilating _it." He talked urgently, his words picking up speed. "If she can assimilate Mr. Stoker's blood, she can mimic the biology."

"Do the Judoon know that? If she's mimicking human, doesn't that mean she'll scan human?" Izzy asked the Doctor. "If she's human, then you're the only alien in here. They'll either take you, or sentence all these people to death. Doctor, please tell me there's some way to catch her still."

"Brilliant, Izzy! I was just getting to that." He grinned at her excitedly.

"I think that's the first time you've said my name, Doctor," she said, bemused. Never mind how wonderful it sounded the way he said it—like she really was brilliant.

"Izzy, Izzy, Izzy. Come on, we have to stop her and show the Judoon!" He pushed past the both of them and raced out through the hall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The sound of footsteps and creaking leather could be heard from their corner, and the three crouched down behind the water dispenser. They tensed as the Slab moved past in the empty hall.

"That's the thing about Slabs, they always travel in pairs." The Doctor crouched next to Izzy, his words whispered in her ear.

"What about you?" Martha asked.

"What about me what?" The Doctor responded, still watching after the Slab's retreating figure.

"Haven't you got back-up? You must have a partner or something…" the med student trailed off, looking over Izzy's head and to his face.

The Doctor scoffed as he looked at Martha, face stretched in disbelief. "Humans! We're stuck on the moon, running out of air with Judoon and a blood-sucking criminal, and you're asking personal questions? Come on."

"Hey! Don't be rude. Back-up is a perfectly reasonable request in a situation like this." Izzy defended, indignant.

Martha continued. "Oh, I like that, 'humans'. Still not convinced that you're an alien." They stood and turned—straight into the Judoon's awaiting scanner.

The blue light beeped on the Doctor's forehead. "Non-human."

"Oh my God, you really are."

"And _again_." The Doctor grabbed their hands and ran opposite of the Judoon, who fired their laser-like guns after them.

_More stairs_, Izzy groaned inwardly as they ran up to the next level. Reaching the door, the Doctor locked it behind them.

Izzy got a chance to look at the hall. All around her people were on the ground, clinging to oxygen tanks. Patients and doctors took turns breathing, the weakest given the most they could get.

"They've done this floor, come on." The Doctor said. "The Judoon are logical, and just a little bit thick. They won't go back to check a floor they've already checked. If we're lucky."

Martha knelt next to a woman in a doctor's coat. The woman had been holding an oxygen mask to a patient. "How much oxygen is there?" Martha asked.

"Not enough for all these people. We're going to run out." Izzy paused and took the woman's arm comfortingly.

Her voice lowered tenderly, almost sounding like a mother soothing her frightened child. "It'll be all right, you just keep holding on. We'll find a way home, and then you can tell all your friends you went to the moon!" Her smile was compassionate, and the woman in the oxygen mask fluttered her tired eyes and smiled appreciatively, taking slower, less shallow breaths.

As her hair fell more into her face, she didn't notice the Doctor's contemplative gaze following her actions.

"How're you two feeling? Are you alright?" the Doctor asked.

"Running on adrenalin." Martha responded. Izzy gave a small smile and a nod of agreement.

"Welcome to my world." The Doctor said, his face still serious. Izzy straightened and turned to him.

"What about the Judoon?" Martha asked.

"Ah, great big lung reserves; it won't slow them down." The Doctor looked to both ends of the hall, his gaze briefly sliding over the petite Irish girl. "Where's Mr. Stoker's office?"

Martha stood up. "This way." They took a few long strides before coming to the short entryway to Mr. Stoker's office. The Doctor held out his hand in warning. He cautiously entered the room first, Martha and Izzy close behind.

"She's gone! She was here." The Doctor moved over to the body and pressed his fingers to the man's neck.

"Drained him dry; every last drop." The sight of the bloodless body with open, sightless eyes made Izzy freeze. Her heart ached with painful memories and for the death of the poor man she would never meet. "I was right. She is a Plasmavore."

"What's she doing here?" Martha asked. Izzy backed away slowly her eyes screwed shut, old pain etched in her face.

"Hiding, on the run, like Ronald Biggs in Rio de Janeiro." The Doctor turned towards Martha and caught a glimpse of Izzy's reaction. He watched her, curious and concerned, but continued on his original thought. "But what's she doing now? She's still not safe. The Judoon could execute us all." The Doctor stood up. "Come on."

"Wait a minute." Martha walked over to Mr. Stoker and gently closed his staring eyes. Izzy recovered slightly when the glassy eyes were concealed. _Just forget about it, you're fine,_ she attempted to gain control of her memories again. _Don't be a baby, it's not him, it's not him._

They walk out the room and the Doctor was looking at the ground, thinking. "Think, think, think… If I was a wanted Plasmavore, surrounded by police, what would I do?" The Doctor straight ahead to the MRI sign. "Oh, she's as clever as me." He paused, "Almost."

"I don't see how. She's just as stuck as us." Izzy said, joining them.

A crash sounded at the end of the hall, and fresh screams erupted. The Judoon stomped through the smashed doors. "Find the non-human!" The helmet-less Judoon commanded. "Execute!"

"Martha! Izzy!" He spun around urgently. "I need time, stay here, you've got to hold them up."

"How do we do that?" Martha asked, thoroughly confused.

"Just, forgive me for this. This could save a thousand lives, it means nothing. Honestly, nothing." He took her face in both hands and kissed her for a good three seconds.

_Where did that come from?_ Izzy blinked in shock, before he released Martha and grabbed her shoulders. He had to lean over to bring his face level. "Hey!" She exclaimed, almost panicked. Her eyes kept shifting to his lips as she talked rapidly. "Sorry, fella, I don't know about where you come from, but back home you don't kiss a girl right after you've kissed her friend, that's just—" His lips cut her off. He ended it—right when she had started to enjoy it, too—and took off down the hall toward the MRI. "—rude."

"That was nothing?" Martha asked, stunned and a little bit dreamy. Izzy could sympathize.

Izzy straightened her shirt and fixed her bangs, turning towards the oncoming Judoon.

"Now listen," Martha said. "I know who you're looking for, and she's this woman, calls herself Florence." The Judoon chief-thing held his scanner to Martha's face. She blinked the light out of her eyes.

"Human." The initial beep was followed by another, and the Judoon seemed to reconsider his verdict. "Wait. Partial non-human." Another beep, the Judoon lifted their guns to Martha.

"Non human element confirmed. Authorize full scan." The Judoon captain shoved Martha into a wall. Martha looked over at Izzy, and the tiny girl could only watch with wide eyes. "What are you? _What are you_?"

After a full scan, he drew an 'X' on the back of Martha's hand. "Confirm: Human; traces of facial contact with non-human." To the other Judoons, he spoke. "Continue the search!" He then gave Martha a sheet of paper. "You will need this."

"What's that for?" Martha took the piece of paper though.

"Compensation." The Judoon still hadn't gotten to Izzy. Seeing her chance to lead them to Mrs. Finnegan, she grabbed Martha's free hand and ran to the MRI room. Sure enough, the Judoon marched quickly behind.

Izzy burst through the door with Martha, the Judoon fast behind. As they filed in, Mrs. Finnegan let the Doctor drop. He hit the ground looking for all the world to be dead. "Now, see what you've done? This poor man just died of fright."

"Scan him!" A Judoon held his scanner to the Doctor. "Confirmation: deceased." Izzy's chest clenched tight.

"No, no!" She rushed to his side, laying her uninjured hand on his chest.

"Case closed." _There has to be something… Why would he come in here if he didn't have a plan? No pulse, no blood. She's drained him dry!_

"But it was her!" Martha called, desperate. "She killed him, she did it; she murdered him."

"Judoon have no authority over human crime." The captain said.

"But she's not human!" Izzy stood.

"Oh but I am. I've been catalogued." Mrs. Finnegan lifted her hand.

"Except you drank the Doctor's blood." Izzy reached for a Judoon scanner. She pressed the button and held it to Mrs. Finnegan's face, her expression determined.

"I don't mind. Scan all you like." A beep alerted the Judoon.

"Non-human." The captain called.

"What?" Mrs. Finnegan asked.

Izzy smiled triumphantly. "Confirm Analysis!" The rest of the Judoon lifted up their scanners to the old woman's face.

"But—that's a mistake, it's got to be. I'm human; I'm as human as they come." She attempted to reassure them, but her voice was panicked and shaky.

"He gave his life so they would find you." Izzy said with a sense of awe. She kneeled down to the Doctor again, new appreciation for the brave man clear in her face.

"Confirm: Plasmavore. Charged with the crime of murdering the child princess of Padrivole Regency Nine."

"And she deserved it." Mrs. Finnegan hissed. "Those pink cheeks, and those blonde curls, and that simpering voice! Oh, she was begging for the bite of a Plasmavore!"

"Then you confess?" The chief-rhino pressed.

"Confess? I'm proud of it! Slab! Stop them!" She ran past him and into the other room. The Slab moved to defend its master, but the Judoon leader lifted his gun and the leather slave burned to ashes.

"Verdict: Guilty. Sentence: Execution." Every Judoon took out their gun. Martha ducked down next to Izzy, who was leaning over the Doctor's body.

Mrs. Finnegan connected two orange cables before turning to the Judoon. "Enjoy your victory, Judoon, 'cause you're going to burn with me! Burn in hell!" Her scream carried on as the guns' lasers reached her and she burned to ash like her Slab.

"Case closed." The chief-thing said. Martha stood up.

"What did she mean burn with me? The scanner shouldn't be doing that, she's done something." The Judoon pulled out his scanner and directed it towards the pulsating machine. Izzy winced as another arc of electricity flashed.

"Scans detect lethal acceleration of mono-magnetic pulse."

"What are you standing there for then?" Izzy implored. "Do something! Stop it!"

He turned to look down at her in her position next to the Doctor. "Our jurisdiction has ended. Judoon will evacuate." The two girls looked at him, not believing the carelessness of the creatures.

"What?" Martha called. "But you can't just leave it! What's it gonna do?"

He ignored Martha. Into his scanner-turned-radio, he commanded. "All units withdraw."

They lined up marched out the door. Izzy moved her hand to the top of the Doctor's head. She had been so sure that he could help them, and now he seemed gone.

Martha rushed up to the doorway. "You can't just go!" she shouted after them. "That thing's gonna explode and it's your fault!"

Martha ran back in and knelt on the other side of the Doctor. "Two hearts! Izzy, help me."

Izzy lifted her useless left hand. "Way to be a doctor, Martha!" she congratulated breathlessly. "You pump, I'll breathe." She held the Doctor's nose with her right hand and opened his mouth. On Martha's count she took a deep breath and pushed it into the Doctor. _What is with me and kissing aliens today?_

After repeating the process several times, Martha collapsed, her body no longer able to stay awake.

Izzy saw black spots cloud her vision. She looked over to Martha and filled her lungs with one last gulp of air before sending it to the Doctor.

The Doctor took a ragged breath before coughing dryly. His eyes were red and his skin still pale, Izzy noticed. He was obviously still recovering.

Izzy slumped, her dark brunette hair finally falling out of the bun and into her face. "The scanner," Her vision swam and her lungs burned. "She's done something to the scanner." Her words grew weaker and weaker. She collapsed completely, but before she smacked her head on the ground, the Doctor caught her. Big cerulean blue eyes fluttered up at him. "Please," she rasped. "Please help Doctor." Her eyes closed completely, and the Doctor rested her gently on the ground.

He looked at the scanner. The MRI was buzzing with electricity; he could feel it in the whole building. Painfully, he lifted himself up and into the room and reached into his pocket. "Oh, the sonic!" His oxygen deprived brain had forgotten he had lost it. Looking back at the girls, he saw they were both unconscious and breathing dangerously shallow breaths. He looked again at the circuitry, grabbing the two main wires.

The Doctor took one last look at the scanner before shifting back to two wires, one blue and one red. He lifted up the blue one, "No." He dropped it, taking the red wire instead. He unplugged it, and immediately the electric buzz died down back to normal.

The Doctor coughed violently. Unfortunately, he was not yet fully recovered. He lifted Martha bridal style and walked her to the nearest ward with windows. After setting her on an empty bed, he jogged back—as well as we could in his state—and picked up little Izzy. He was glad she was so light—almost nothing—but he wondered if she was in fact malnourished. Still, in his weak state and after carrying Martha already, he didn't think he could handle anyone heavier.

Barely breathing now, Izzy curled slightly into him. With her pretty face relaxed, she looked much younger than her 25 years. His own face softened at the sight of her moving into him.

He moved to the window, next to the bed where he had laid down Martha. He watched the cylindrical ships start up and slowly take off. "Come on, come on, come on, come on, please, please. Come on Judoon, reverse it." He looked over his shoulder at Martha, then back down at the small woman in his arms. Suddenly, there was a flash of lighting and rain appeared sliding down the windows and the Doctor smiled. "It's raining, Izzy. It's raining on the moon."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Martha and Izzy rested in the back of an ambulance. Both having gotten their fill of the oxygen mask, they waited and surveyed the scene. Everybody was meeting up with loved ones, and Izzy was struck with a rush of loneliness. Her cousin, Gael, was off on a business trip, so she was home alone. There was no way she was going back to Cade's place after what he did to her. This little adventure had made her forget how alone she was, and now that it was over, the emptiness was free to hit her again.

When the paramedic came over to release them, they stood. Martha seemed ready to find her sister, but Izzy lingered hesitantly, unsure of where to go.

"Hey, Izzy, do you have someplace to go?" Martha's voice startled her out of her musings.

"Well ah, no, not really, but I'll be fine. Have fun at your brother's party, Martha." She smiled and nodded for Martha to look behind her, where a girl was calling Martha's name.

Martha turned to see Tish, her sister. Martha smiled and listened to her fast paced fill-in on what happened on Earth while Izzy looked around. She caught a glimpse of the Doctor beyond the tape. He saw her looking and waved. She watched him enter a very blue phone box before she was interrupted again by Martha's voice.

"Izzy, if you don't have anywhere to be, why don't you come to my brother's twenty-first? We'd love to have you." Martha asked, and Tish's face behind her looked sincerely friendly.

"Oh no, I wouldn't want to intrude," she answered with a smile. Manners called for her to politely decline—after all, she had only known Martha Jones for a day—but really she would love to meet new people and not be in that empty flat by herself.

"No really, it's fine." Tish added, "in fact, as the official party-planners, we insist." She smiled, seeming pleased with herself.

"Well… okay!" Izzy flashed a grin excitedly and moved to follow them. She looked back to the Doctor's blue box, but she could no longer find it. Maybe the Doctor really was a wanderer; she doubted, though she very much wished otherwise, that she would ever see him again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Really, Izzy couldn't remember a time she had felt so welcomed. After picking up an outfit at home that Tish and Martha had helped her with, Martha had let her get ready at her flat. Martha's family wasn't the perfect picture of happiness, but it was such a change from just her and Gael that she welcomed the loud Jones crew.

She stood in front of the mirror, fingering her silver pocket-watch necklace. She wore a sharp black blazer with rolled-up sleeves wide enough to cover her neon cast—mostly. Underneath she wore a relaxed-fit soft green tank-top and her favorite dark-wash fitted jeans. Comfortable black thigh-high military style boots completed the ensemble. She pulled her dark chocolate hair into a relaxed chignon, leaving her blunt-cut bangs and a few loose tendrils in her face. Dark mascara played up her naturally long eyelashes and drew attention to her almost unnaturally blue eyes, contrasting her moonlight-pale skin. She had just finished putting on soft pink lip gloss when Martha called her.

"Izzy!" The girl in question grinned broadly in anticipation of her first social event in months. She tore down the stairs and out the door, surprising her host with her enthusiasm.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I am not staying in there to be insulted!" Annalise said. The quiet on the street was shattered by the sound of angry stomping heels fleeing from a small tavern.

"She didn't mean it sweetheart; she was just saying you look healthy." Clive amended rapidly.

Another tall woman followed them out. "No I did not. I said orange!" Francine interrupted; she was _not_ even going to be nice to that plastic, yellow slip of a woman.

"Clive, that woman is disrespecting me! She never liked me!" Annalise's whiney voice rose in volume and she gave Francine a look more fitting of a petulant three-year-old.

"Oh, I can't think why, after you stole my husband!" Unfortunately Francine was adamant on being just as childish.

"I was seduced. I'm entirely innocent, tell her about it, babes!" The blonde implored, looking pleadingly to the distraught man in the middle.

Francine hadn't finished; Clive needed to see the worthlessness of this woman of his. "And then, she has to go at Martha and Izzy—who is our guest, by the way—and practically accused them of making the whole thing up!" Leo, Tish, Martha, and Izzy came out. Izzy was amazed at the ferocity of Martha's mother as she verbally attacked the woman. She wondered if she had something to do with starting the fight; after all, she was the new piece of their tightly-wound family circle.

"Mrs. Jones, really, I don't mind. I'm sorry I mentioned it," she tone apologetic as she moved to placate the quarreling adults.

"Oh, 'I've been to the moon!', as if – they were drugged, it said so in the news!"Annalise continued on, ignoring everything but her own opinion. Izzy was slightly disgusted by how easily the media could sway the weak minded.

"Since when did you watch the news?" Francine countered. "You can't handle Quiz Mania!"

"Make her apologize!" Annalise demanded, facing Clive.

"Annalise started it. She did, I heard her." Tish said her piece.

"I can't make her do anything!" Clive responded, ignoring his daughter, still stuck between his ex-wife and his girlfriend.

"Tish, don't make it worse." Leo sighed.

"Come off it Leo, what did she buy you? Soap! A 75 pence soap!" Tish refused to be placated.

The family reached its breaking point and they split.

"Oh I'm never talking to your family again!" Annalise called, clopping across the street.

Clive yelled back. "Annalise, don't you dare! I'm putting my foot down! This is me putting my foot down!" He stomped uselessly before following after her. He seemed to be following an unruly child rather than his grown girlfriend.

"Dad, come on…" Leo said, following his still-stomping father

"Have a nice party, Clive." Francine shouted after her ex-husband. "Go on, cavort with your little piece, make a fool of yourself. God knows you've been doing it for twenty five years, why stop now?"

Tish ran to comfort her. "Oh Mum, don't, I asked the DJ and he's playing that song later, he's playing Popcorn, like we did when we were little. Don't go…"

Martha and Izzy were left in the wake. Izzy was stunned, and looked to Martha as if wondering if she was going to run off, too. Martha just sighed exasperatedly. Izzy slid her eyes off her new friend and out to the street, catching the eye of a tall man leaning against the entrance to the alley. He smiled and her returning grin split her pretty face. She nudged Martha, and the slightly taller woman followed her gaze.

They both set off after him as soon as her turned away. They followed into the alley and sped their pace, Izzy having to stretch her short legs into longer strides to keep up. Rounding the corner, they stopped, the atmosphere hushed as they looked at the Doctor leaning against a blue police box.

Izzy walked forward slowly, her eyes glued to the wooden box. It was the perfect blue, and somehow she felt calmed and comforted by it. Martha stayed back; her expression finally relaxed after all the yelling.

"We went to the moon today." She said finally. Izzy paused to look back at her.

The Doctor's eyes were on Martha, bemused. "A bit more peaceful than down here."

"You never told us who you really are." She began to walk to him.

"The Doctor." Izzy and the Doctor spoke in unison, earning the Irish girl a look.

"But what sort of species? It's not every day I get to ask that." Martha continued, a smile playing on her lips.

"I'm a Time Lord."

"Right." Martha said, and Izzy circled the box, running her fingers along the side. "Not pompous at all, then…"

He grinned. "I just thought… Since, you've two saved my life—and I have a brand new sonic screwdriver," he pulled out a new metal device, "which needs road-testing… You might fancy a trip?"

"In your ship?" Izzy questioned, popping her head around the side opposite the Doctor and earning a quizzical look from him.

"What? Into space?" Martha asked.

"Well," he allowed.

"But… Ican't," As she listed the strings keeping her there, Izzy realized that she herself had very few. "I've got exams. I've got things to do, I've got to go into town this week and pay the rent. And I've got my family going mad…"

The Doctor looked over to Izzy. "My cousin's always away, she wouldn't mind." She held up her casted arm. "This is a gift from my boyfriend," she said bitterly. "I wouldn't mind escaping from him forever."

She saw a flash of distaste in the Doctor's face, but he quickly looked away to Martha. "If it helps, I can travel in time as well," he said.

"Get out of here." Martha said, not believing him at all. Izzy just stepped back, a wild smile growing on her face.

"I can." The Doctor said.

"Space _and _time? Seriously?" Izzy was still grinning excitedly.

"Come on. That's going too far." Martha still could not begin to believe that. She looked doubtfully over at Izzy's bright smile.

"I'll prove it." He turned into the box and shut the door behind him. Izzy could hear the sound of labored mechanical breathing as the box began to fade. She backed away and when it had completely faded, Martha walked up to the place it had been. She had just put her hand through the empty space when the sound started up again and wind whipped their faces. Martha backed up again, and the Doctor's box became solid.

The Doctor stepped out. Hanging from his hand was his tie. "Told ya."

"No, but… That was this morning. But… Did you? Oh my God, You can travel through time… But hold on: if you could see me this morning, why didn't you tell me not to go into work?"

"Wouldn't that be a paradox?" Izzy interrupted. The Doctor looked at her, surprised.

"Right," he nodded to her. "Crossing into established events is strictly forbidden. Except for cheap tricks."

"And that's your spaceship?" Martha asked. She walked closer and ran her fingers against it like Izzy had done previously.

"It's called the TARDIS."

"Your spaceship is made of wood. There's not much room—we'd be a bit intimate." Izzy's eyes danced with laughter as she waited for the Doctor's response.

"Take a look." He pushed the door open._ I wasn't expecting that._ Martha walked in with an awed look on her face. Izzy and the Doctor followed.

Izzy made room for Martha as she ran outside again, looking around. "No, no, no… But it's just a box! But it's huge! How's it do that?" The Doctor just watched. "It's wood! It's a box with that room just… crammed in." Her face filled with awe and disbelief. "It's bigger on the inside." Izzy saw the Doctor mouth the words as Martha spoke.

"Is it? I hadn't noticed." The Doctor closed the doors before throwing his trench in the crook of a coral-like column.

"She's beautiful." Izzy twirled around on the spot trying to take in every inch at once. She paused, facing the Doctor, "That's what you call a ship, right? She? Well, anyway, the TARDIS is _some_ ship." She grinned and stroked the coral column holding the Doctor's coat.

The Doctor watched her and he began to press buttons on the console, pleased by her appreciation of his ship. "Let's get going then." Izzy circled the controls, her hands ghosting over different buttons and levers.

"Ma would've loved this," she whispered to herself, unsure as to why she even said it out loud.

"But… Is there a crew? Like, a navigator and stuff, where is everyone?" Martha continued to wander around the room.

"Just me." The Doctor said, still fiddling.

"All on your own?" Martha asked. Izzy's turn about the console had brought her next to him.

"Well," he refused to meet her eyes. "Sometimes I have… guests. I mean, some friends, travelling along side. I had, it was recently, a friend of mine. Rose, her name was Rose, and… We were together… Anyway." The Doctor looked up to reach for a rotating monitor, and his glance flickered across the short girl's face. Her expression startled him. The blue eyes locked onto his face were so brilliantly compassionate, as if she knew exactly what he was leaving out. Yet it seemed like she was looking through him, too; gazing with pain-filled eyes at something beyond what he could see.

He shifted his gaze to the screen. "Where is she now?" Martha asked.

"With her family. Happy! She's fine… She's… Not that you're replacing her!" He pointed at Martha "Not that either of you are replacing her." He turned around to point at Izzy but his finger drooped when he saw she still had that look in her eyes.

"Never said we were." Izzy's voice was quiet; still compassionate, still somewhat distant.

"Just one trip. To say thanks, you get one trip, then back home." The Doctor said. "I'd rather be on my own."

"Well, you're the one that kissed me. Well me, then Izzy." The Doctor turned his eyes to Martha.

"_That _was genetic transfer."

Izzy laughed, her voice musical. "They didn't even scan me! Martha was distraction enough. You just wanted practice," she teased, turning and skipping away from responding scowl.

"And if you will wear a tight suit." Martha continued, moving closer.

"Now, don't." he scolded.

"And then, you travel across the whole universe just to ask her on a date." Izzy added. She had skipped a full turn around the console and stood smiling next to Martha.

"Stop it," he warned the two.

"For the record, I'm not remotely interested. I only go for humans." The Doctor smiled.

"I have a bad track record with men." She pointed out, absentmindedly itching under her cast. "Experience has taught me to stay away from cute ones like you." Her teasing smile was blinding as she slumped down into a nearby chair.

"Good." Whether to the backwards compliment or the assertion that he would not be chased after, he smiled. He didn't want to point out to the pale beauty that he technically wasn't a man: he was a whole other species. But now that the subject was dropped, he thought it wisest not to bring it up again.

"Close down the Gravitic Anomalyser. Fire up the Helmic Regulator. And finally… the handbrake!" He rested his hand on a large-ish lever. Looking at his guests, he smiled expectantly. "Ready?"

"No." Martha said smiling.

"Yes," Izzy voiced at the same time, her smile ever wider.

"Off we go!" he said, and pulled. The ship lurched violently and Izzy was flung off the chair and onto the console next to the Doctor, still wearing her bright smile. _I always loved roller coasters._

"Blimey! It's a bit bumpy!" Martha called out.

The Time Lord offered a hand for her to shake "Welcome aboard, Miss Jones."

Martha took the hand. "It's my pleasure, Mr. Smith."

The Doctor crossed his body to give a hand to the woman on his right. "And you, Miss Brannen."

She laughed. "Oh I knew you'd be fun!" She held on tight to the TARDIS as they hurtled through space and time.

**A/N:** I now fully appreciate the good authors of this fandom. Twenty pages in Word and this is only one episode. One! Plus it takes forever since I have to watch the episode over again to get the direct quotes right. All that effort, and I'm only just inserting my character! She has her own storyline and I will be weaving it in throughout the season, don't you worry.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

This is not another, "She's a Time Lady hidden as a human!" fic. I am not a hardcore Whoovian (in fact, I watched series 5 first and originally refused to watch the 10th doctor because everyone was going on about how great David Tennant was and I didn't want to fall in love with one Doctor when I knew he was just going to leave. But after going here, I knew I had to watch the previous seasons. As a result, I love both Ten and Eleven each in a **"slightly different individual way."**) but it still bothers me when people bring in a character that they make into another Time Lord who survived the war. Really, if you counted up the OC Time Lords there would be enough to populate Gallifrey 2. When the Doctor says he's the last, he really means _the last_. Besides the Master, who the writers can bring back and kill off whenever they like.

Anyways. Reviews are welcome, but not required. Though I doubt anyone will choose to read this fic in the sea of 25,015 already out there, I am not one who requires readership in order to write. Then nothing would ever be written!

**Lots o' love, Ellie**

**P.S. If you recognize the quote in my note, give a shout and tell me who you think said it. I like to know who my fellow fanatics are **


	2. The Shakespeare Code

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Doctor Who. If I did, I would actually have the money to travel to the UK and fangirl some over there. You have no idea how dearly I wish that I was the girl that Matt Smith met while traveling the West Coast.

Also, a little author's note. I realize that most authors with Mary-Sue characters do not intend them to be so, unless it is an obvious satire. Since I do not appreciate flames on my characters, I will try to maintain Izzy to be as imperfect a person she would be in real life rather than conform to the Mary-Sue- esque traits. I know who she is, but the trouble is making her nature clear to you, my dearest readership. One part troubled, one part silly, and two parts klutz.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor spun a squeaky handle on the side of the console as the TARDIS shook from side to side. "But how do you travel in time? What makes it go?" Martha's voice wobbled from the motion of the ship. Izzy stayed quiet, preferring to hold on for dear life. Her wavy hair finally fell out of her bun and into her face. She blew it out of her mouth, spluttering.

"Oh let's take the fun and the mystery out of everything! Martha, you don't want to know. It just does. Hold on tight!" The Doctor stretched himself half on the console and half off. The TARDIS gave one big lurch, flinging its passengers off the controls in opposite directions. Martha and Izzy both fell on the ground and the Doctor ran into a column behind him.

Righting herself, Martha exclaimed, "Blimey! Do you have to pass a test to fly this thing?"

The Doctor moved to grab his coat, giving Izzy a hand up on his way to the door. "Yes. And I failed." Izzy hissed, grabbing her injured wrist. "Now, make the most of it." He gave Martha her jacket. "I promised you one trip and one trip only."

He paused just before the door. "Wait, I'm forgetting something." He turned around on his heel, body still frozen in the same position. "Oh! Right, wait here." He turned and ran up a set of stairs opposite the wooden doors, leaving Martha and Izzy stunned and confused.

He raced back seconds later. "I knew keeping this was a good idea." He strode up to Izzy with a jar of glowing goo and some bandages, pulling out his sonic with his free hand. "Arm."

She gave it to him, her expression skeptical. Martha stood by, observing curiously. He pointed the sonic at the neon cast, and somehow, it cracked. Cast falling to the ground in two even pieces, the Doctor took her purple and bruised wrist tenderly as Izzy bit back a pained hiss. "This will help," he said quietly to her. He proceeded to smother the bandages in the glowing green glue before wrapping them tightly around her wrist, forming a smaller sort of cast. The material dried hard the instant he finished wrapping it.

Izzy felt immediate relief. She smiled gratefully up at the care in his eyes. "Thank you, Doctor. Whatever that radioactive slime stuff is, it's working."

"It's not radioactive! It's a healing gel from… oh never mind. I'll explain later." He ran back to the door, pausing dramatically with his hand on the handle. "Outside this door: brave new world."

"Where are we?" Martha asked.

The Doctor watched her. "Take a look." He nodded towards the open door. "After you." Martha jogged down the ramp. Izzy followed eagerly, exiting just before the Doctor, who closed the door behind them.

"Oh, you're kidding me." Martha said, now alongside her. "You are _so _kidding me. Oh my God! We did it—we travelled in time." The Doctor moved in between them. "Where are we?" Martha asked him. "No, sorry. I've got to get use to this whole new language. _When _are we?"

The Doctor turned his face upward and pushed the girls back away from the oncoming bucket-load. "Mind the loo!" The bucket carrier called from the window above.

"Somewhere before the invention of the toilet. Sorry 'bout that." The Doctor said.

"I've seen worse. I've worked the late night shift at A&E." Martha stated.

"Um, sorry, no. No matter what I've seen before, that's still gross." Izzy quickly jumped over the 'loo,' running into the Doctor's back in her haste. "Oof! Sorry," she mumbled into his back. She couldn't step back without stepping in the mess, and he wasn't moving forwards, so she leaned on the balls of her feet with her body still pressed against his back.

He stepped ahead once, and Izzy fell forward. She stood on one foot precariously, pin wheeling her arms and wobbling in an effort to get her other foot underneath her. Luckily, the Doctor had turned around, and upon noticing her dilemma, caught her before she face-planted on the cobblestone street. "Thanks again. This is why nobody went on walks with me. I'm such a klutz I'd find a way to trip on a flat surface." Her normally pale face was flushed scarlet in embarrassment.

"But are we safe? I mean, can we move around and stuff?" Martha asked having missed Izzy's near fall.

"Course we can," The Doctor said, steadying the smaller girl next to him. "Why do you ask?"

Martha look was expectant. "Back in the films: You step on a butterfly you change the future of the human race!"

"Tell you what then, Martha…" The Doctor said, obviously confused as to why she would ever do such a thing. "Don't step on any butterflies. What have butterflies ever done to you?" he continued at rapid speed.

_You're sweet and you're soft, my butterfly girl, _her Mum's voice played in Izzy's mind, and her walking slowed to a stop. _And oh, how you have my heart in a whirl. You flit and you float, all over the world. I love you, my butterfly girl._ She shook out of her wonderings and jogged to catch up with the Doctor.

"What if, I dunno, I kill my grandfather?" Martha was saying. The Doctor turned to walk backwards.

"Are you planning to?" he teased.

"No."

"Well, then."

"And this is London, right? Still smells like it." Izzy remarked.

"Think so. Right about… 1599." _How could he tell what year it was within five minutes of being here?_

"Oh, but hold on. Am I alright? I'm not going to get carted off as a slave, am I?" Martha paused, concerned.

"Why would they do that?" The Doctor was clearly perplexed.

"Not exactly white, in case you haven't noticed." She pointed to her face.

"I'm not even human." The Doctor reminded her.

"And we're all lacking that 'healthy' layer of dirt on our faces. It seems to be quite fashionable these days," Izzy said cheerfully, looking around at the grungy surroundings. The Doctor smiled at the back of her head.

"Just walk about like you own the place. Works for me," he continued. "Besides, you'd be surprised: Elizabethan England, not so different from your time." The Doctor pointed to the right. "Look over there." Izzy followed his finger to man shoveling manure. "They've got recycling. Water cooler moment—" They passed two men chatting at a water barrel.

"…And the earth will be consumed by flame!" A dirty robed man passed them, holding a bible and waving his right arm emphatically.

"Global warming." The Doctor said, and the man froze, confused.

The time traveler turned around as if searching for something. "Oh yes, and… entertainment! Popular entertainment for the masses. If I'm right, we're just down the river from Southwark right next to…" He took their hands, leading them in a run around the corner. "Ah yes, the Globe Theater! Brand new: just opened. Though, strictly speaking, it's not a globe, it's a tetradecagon—14 sides—containing the man himself."

"Whoa, you don't mean…?" Martha asked. "Is Shakespeare in there?"

"And we can meet him?" Izzy grabbed the Doctor's hand with both of her own and looked up at his face excitedly. "For real?" Her face shone with absolute glee, and the Doctor grinned wide at her child-like enthusiasm.

"Oh yes." The Doctor squeezed her hand in his and offered an arm to Martha. "Miss Jones, will you accompany me to the theatre?"

"Mr. Smith I will." Martha looked to the theatre as she took his arm.

"To save you from having to crouch, I think I'll just stick with the hand." Izzy smiled and swung their joined hands up for him to see. Martha was on the shorter side as well, but she had heels. Either the much taller Time Lord would have to lean uncomfortably or the petite girl would have to reach to comfortably hook with the Doctor's arm.

"When you get home, you can tell everyone you've seen Shakespeare."

"Then we can get sectioned!" came Martha's sarcastic response.

"Maybe I can ask him why Romeo and Juliet are such idiots…" Izzy wondered aloud, earning laughs from both Martha and the Doctor.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cheers filled the tetradecagon building as the actors on the stage took their bows. "That's amazing! Just amazing. It's worth putting up the smell!" Martha cried happily.

"Those are men dressed as women, yeah?" Martha inquired, observing the cross-dressed actors on stage.

Izzy laughed, though due to her position behind a particularly tall gentleman, she couldn't quite see the men in question. "Hah! London never changes."

"Where's Shakespeare? I wanna see Shakespeare." Martha raised a fist in the air. "Author! Author!" Izzy and the Doctor watched her. She stopped, "Do people shout that? Do people shout 'author'?"

A man next to her yelled, "Author!" and soon the whole theatre took up the cry. "They do now. You've made history, Martha!" Izzy laughed wildly and shook her fist in the air. Shakespeare entered center stage. He threw his arm in the air and gave kisses to the crowd.

"He's a bit different to his portraits." Martha remarked as the playwright turned to them.

"Genius!" The Doctor said excitedly. "He's a genius. _The _genius. The most _human_ human that's ever been. Now we're gonna hear him speak." The Doctor's face was eager and expectant. "Always, he chooses the best words. New, beautiful, brilliant words."

"Ah, shut your big fat mouths!" The audience laughed uproariously. The Doctor's expression was one akin to horror.

"Oh well." He sighed, disappointed.

"You should never meet your heroes."

"Maybe he needs time for the big stuff?" Izzy suggested, frowning. "I mean, really, that can't be all he's got. You sounded cleverer than him within ten minutes of meeting you!" Izzy addressed the Doctor, gesturing to Shakespeare with an incredulous arm. The Time Lord smiled lightly at her casual compliment.

Shakespeare spoke again. "You've got excellent taste! I'll give you that." He pointed to a poor man in the first rows. "Oh, that's a wig." The audience laughed. "I know what you're all saying: _Love's Labors Lost_, that's a funny ending, isn't it? It just stops! Will the boys get the girls? Well, don't get your hose in a tangle, you'll find out soon." The noise picked up, shouting for more. "Yeah, yeah. All in good time. You don't rush a genius." He bowed. Izzy frowned as he jerked suddenly upright. "When? Tomorrow night." The crowd's answering cheer was ear-splitting.

"The premiere of my brand new play. A sequel, no less, and I call it, _Love's Labors Won_!" Martha clapped happily. Izzy stayed quiet, instead watching the Doctor's reaction. It seemed as if he shared her hesitation. _I've been forced to read Shakespeare often enough, and I _knowLove's Labors Won_ was never one of them._ She hoped the obvious change had nothing to do with them. They had made sure not to step on any butterflies!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The travelling trio moved with the dense crowd moving out of the theatre. "I'm not an expert, but I've never heard of _Love's Labors Won_."

"Exactly—the lost play. It doesn't exist, only in rumors. It's mentioned in lists of his plays, but never ever turns up. No one knows why." The Doctor concurred.

"Have you got a mini disk or something? We could tape it. We can flog it. Sell it when we get back home and make a mint." Martha sounded eager.

"No." The Doctor said.

"That would be bad?"

"Yeah, yeah." The Doctor nodded. Martha giggled.

"Besides that being morally wrong," Izzy looked to the Doctor for approval, "what would you do with it? Everyone would think it was a fake. No sane person would believe the amazing things we've seen." Izzy's tone was wistful, and truthfully she wanted to see more than an old human play. She wanted to see the stars.

"Anyways… How did it disappear in the first place?" Martha brought attention away from her fumble.

"Well… I was going to give you a quick trip in the TARDIS but…" The two looked up at him. "I suppose we could stay a bit longer." Martha grinned and Izzy's smile split her face. If there was room to do a victory dance, she would.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They raced up the stairs of 'The Elephant,' the Doctor in the lead. He seemed eager to give Shakespeare a chance at redeeming his genius and his hero reputation. "Hello!" The Doctor rapped on the open door. "Excuse me! I'm not interrupting, am I? Mr. Shakespeare, isn't it?" Martha and Izzy filed in behind him.

"Oh no, no, no, no. Who let you in?" Shakespeare held a hand to his face. "No autographs. No, you can't have yourself sketched with me. And please don't ask me where I get my ideas from. Now, be a good boy and shove…" He trailed off as he caught sight of Martha. Izzy stayed mostly hidden by the Doctor's body.

"Hey, nonny-nonny," Martha smiled, obviously dazed by the man. Izzy giggled behind her hand, drawing the playwright's eyes to her. They lit up with the same appreciation they held for Martha."Sit down right next to me." Izzy blushed slightly at the attention. His sort of attention was different than her teasing the Doctor; maybe because the Time Lord had never complimented her—or Martha—on looks. Shakespeare spoke to the actors in the room. "You two get sewing on the costumes. Off you go."

The busty innkeeper pulled the men away. "Come on, lads. I think our William's found his new muses." _Never been anyone's muse before. I wonder how one would go about…musing?_

"Sweet ladies." Shakespeare practically purred. If she wasn't so amused by him, she might have found time to be slightly disgusted. "Such unusual clothes. So… fitted."

"And yours so… poufy," Izzy remarked, smiling.

"Your accent—I have never heard it before." He turned to Martha. "Beautiful lady, do you speak the same?"

Martha seemed to freeze under pressure. "Um, verily, forsooth, e-gads." The Doctor and Izzy gave her identical arched-eyebrow looks. Martha's face obviously questioned the eyebrow.

"No, no, don't do that. Don't." Doctor told her. Izzy smiled teasingly at Martha and he pulled out a flap of paper. "I'm Sir Doctor of TARDIS and these are my companions, Miss Martha Jones and Miss Isolde Brannen."

"Interesting, that bit of paper. It's blank." Shakespeare pointed, almost smugly.

"Oh, that's… very clever." The Doctor's faith in Shakespeare seemed restored. "That proves it, absolute genius." The Doctor relaxed his arm, with the paper in his hand hanging sideways.

Martha looked at it intently. "No, it says so right there: Sir Doctor, Martha Jones, and Isolde Brannen. It says so." Izzy could read the same.

"And I say it's blank." The playwright was confident.

"Physic paper." The Time Lord hesitated. "Um, long story. Oh I hate starting from scratch."

"Physic. Never heard that before, and words are my trade. Who are you exactly? More to the point, who is your delicious blackamoor lady and this pale beauty with eyes of blue fire?" Izzy's cheeks flushed rose-red, whether from the creepy compliment or the disrespect to Martha, she couldn't be sure.

"What did you say?" Martha sounded equally shocked.

"Oops. Isn't that a word we use now-a-days? An Ethiop girl? A swarth? A queen of Afric…" He didn't seem to be all that apologetic as he continued to offend his guests.

"It's political correctness gone mad." The Doctor released a breath. "Um, Martha and Isolde are from a far off land. Freedonia." Izzy didn't know why he kept using her full first name, but she held no complaints. From his lips, the tragic lover's name held beauty.

"Excuse me!" A larger man entered, obliviously anxious to say his piece. "Hold hard a moment. This is abominable behavior. A new play with no warning? I demand to see a script, Mr. Shakespeare," he ordered. "As Master of the Revels, every new script must be registered at my office and examined by me before it can be preformed."

"Tomorrow morning," The author answered. "First thing, I'll send it 'round."

"I don't work to your schedule. You work to mine. The script, now!"

"I can't." Shakespeare stressed the 'T.'

"Then tomorrow's performance is cancelled." The man assured.

"It's all go, 'round here, isn't it?" Martha muttered.

"I'm returning to my office for a banning order." The man continued, his fuzzy beard shaking with every syllable. "If it's the last thing I do, 'Loves Labor's Won' will never be played." He stomped down the stairs.

"Well then, mystery solved." Izzy sighed. She had hoped for a longer trip than that. Home seemed so blissfully far away. "That's 'Loves Labor's Won' over and done with. Thought it might be something more, you know… mysterious."

A scream split the night, followed by others. Shakespeare's present company ran out of the room and quickly down the stairs. A man stumbled through the street, choking out water. "Isn't that the Lynley bloke?"

"What's wrong with him? Leave it to me, I'm a Doctor." The Doctor ran to the spouting man.

"So am I—near enough." Martha ran over and Izzy followed. Feeling useless, she tried to hold the large man up with her tiny frame. Unfortunately she could not stop him from suddenly collapsing, and she fell with him. The Doctor pulled her out from under the poor man.

"You alright?" He held her up as she stared down at the dying man with wide blue eyes. When she nodded, he gave her a fleeting, concerned look before jogging down the street. "Gotta get the heart going. Mr. Lynley." Martha spoke to the dead man. "C'mon, can you hear me? You're gonna be alright." When she opened his mouth to begin CPR she moved back, startled by the water gushing from his lungs.

Izzy's eyes widened and she stepped back, "What the hell is that?" The Doctor came back to her side and she looked to him. The Time Lord was momentarily stunned by the haunted look in her eyes—she had seen death before.

"I've never seen a death like it. His lungs are full of water – he drowned and then… I dunno, like a blow to the heart, an invisible blow." The Doctor straightened and addressed the innkeeper. "Good mistress, this poor fellow has died from a sudden imbalance of the humours. A natural, if unfortunate, demise. Call a constable and have him taken away."

"Yes, sir." The inn keeper answered before another, smaller woman offered instead.

"I'll do it, ma'am."

The Doctor crouched down to the body again. "And why are you telling them that? Imbalance of the humours my foot!" Izzy asked, perplexed. _If that's a natural death, I'll dye my hair green._

"This lot have still got one foot in the Dark Ages. If I tell them the truth, they'll panic and think it's witchcraft."

"Okay, what was it then?" Izzy asked.

His eyes locked with hers. "Witchcraft."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I've got you a room, Sir Doctor. You, Miss Jones, and Miss Brannen are just across the landing." The innkeeper left quietly.

"Poor Lynley. So many strange events. Not least of all, this land of Freedonia where a woman can be a doctor?" _Oh, yes. _Freedonia. _Where Martha can be a doctor and I actually have a camera to document all this wonderful madness._

"Where a woman can be what she likes." Martha replied.

"And you, Sir Doctor. How can a man so young have eyes so _old_?" Izzy was again reminded of the sharpness of his mind. There would never be a human born quite like him.

"I do a lot of reading."

"A trite reply. Yeah, that's what'd I do." The Doctor allowed a smile. "And you. You look at him like you're surprised he exists. He's as much of a puzzle to you as he is to me?" The Doctor looked at Martha and Martha looked away.

"I think we should say goodnight." Martha walked quickly out of the room.

"And you Miss Brannen." Izzy looked to those clear, clever eyes. "Isolde, if I may. You hold a great weight on your back, for one so small. I was not wrong when I spoke of your eyes; the color of fire heated blue. There's a spark of something different about you. You are much more unique than you yet realize, believe that."

The girl's eyes burned into his. _How could he know…? There's no way he could know anything about me_, Izzy comforted herself, again underestimating the vision of the playwright. Still, she self-coniuosly adjusted her blazer to cover more of her pale skin. She felt the physical weight of the Doctor's gaze on her face, and she broke away from Shakespeare. Her eyes met his and she feared the tenderness of them, his curiosity.

She turned away from those old, old eyes that left her feeling ragged and bare. "Goodnight, William Shakespeare. May your words move hearts and change the minds of men." Her voice was sad, hollow and the Doctor's eyes watched her retreating figure. Shakespeare had seen more in them than he himself had cared to look. He had so convinced himself to not get attached… he had forgotten they were human.

Izzy walked to the doorway and took a deep breath. She quieted her jumbled thoughts, throwing them into a mental file to look through later. She entered the bedroom with a faint smile on her face.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"It's not exactly five stars, is it?" Martha remarked when the Doctor entered. Izzy sat on the end of the bed.

"Oh, it'll do. I've seen worse." The Doctor answered.

"I haven't even got a toothbrush."

"Oh." He patted down his jacket before pulling out a toothbrush. "Contains Venusians spearmint."

"The bed's a bit small." Izzy commented, bouncing slightly on the mattress. "You two take it. I can hide underneath and be the monster under your bed to eat your various appendages while you sleep." Her eyes danced with wicked laughter and she held up her hands in a 'grrr' pose.

Her companions chuckled heartily, Martha rolling her eyes to boot. They heaviness of the situation was lifted briefly.

"Nah, we'll all manage. Come on." He flopped down heavily on the bed, his feet next to Izzy's place at the foot of the bed.

"So—magic and stuff. That's a surprise." Martha said, still standing and holding the candle. "It's all a bit _Harry Potter_."

"Wait till you read book seven," he made an appreciative sound. "Oh, I cried."

Izzy smacked his foot. "Hey! No spoilers."

"But is it real though? I mean witches, black magic and all that—is it real?" Martha steered the conversation back on topic.

The Doctor's face twisted comically. "Course it isn't!"

"Well how am I supposed to know? I've only just started believing in time travel, give me a break."

The Doctor looked at the ceiling. "Looks like witchcraft, but it isn't. Can't be—are you going to stand there all night? Izzy, lay down," he said without pause.

"Well, scoot over, Doctor. You might be a twig, but you still take up some space." The brunette walked herself up to the head of the bed on her hands and knees before flopping facedown next to the Doctor. Her arms straight to her side, she kept her face buried in the pillow. Trying to make the most room for Martha, she moved until her arm touched the Doctor's and stopped. "Ow's dis fo' layin' 'own?" she inquired, talking into the pillow. She felt the Doctor chuckle slightly, and she hoped that somehow her change of attitude might help him forget what Shakespeare had said.

Martha set down the candle and eased herself down next to Izzy. Again, the cramped space required them to touch. "Three to a bed. Oh, tongues will wag."

The Doctor continued on his original idea, ignoring her. "There's such a thing as psychic energy but a human couldn't channel it like that. Not without a generator the size of Taunton and anyone would've spotted that. No…" He flipped over, facing Martha and looking over Izzy's head. "There's something I'm missing Martha, something really close, staring me right in the face and I can't see it."

Izzy lifted her head, facing the Doctor. "Sorry, am I blocking the view?" she said with a teasing smile, which he returned faintly. Martha looked back at the ceiling, seemingly disappointed by something.

The Doctor appreciated the distraction—he was starting to think about Rose again. Instead he turned his thoughts to the small brunette woman beside him. She had settled down again, this time facing him. They were so close that her face was nearly flush against his shoulder. Her smiling eyes looked up to his face once more before she closed them with a contented sigh. Martha watched them and angrily blew out the candle, sending the room into darkness.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"AAAH!" A scream of absolute terror split the peaceful silence.

Izzy shot up too fast for someone that should have been fast asleep. The Doctor leaped off the bed and ran down the hall. Izzy followed him so closely that when he stopped at Shakespeare's door her momentum caused her to slide into his back. Her face's apparent fondness for his back was somewhat of a mystery to her, and for dignity's sake, she hoped it would not become a habit. Martha followed close behind, gracefully avoiding collision with the small girl and the Time Lord.

"Wha…?" Shakespeare's head shot up from his desk, his sharp eyes bleary. "What was that?"

The Doctor righted the brunette before kneeling to Dolly's body. His companions ran to the open window, astonished by what they saw. The figure was rapidly retreating, but the broom and the chilling cackle was enough information to go on. "Her heart gave out." Izzy heard the Doctor say. "She died of fright."

"Doctor. I think you'll find it a bit more difficult to explain away this as science." Izzy called, still following the flying culprit with her eyes.

He joined them at the window. "Why, what did you see?"

"A witch." Martha stated. He looked to their faces and back to the dark night.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The band of time travelers looked out to the morning light as they sat around Shakespeare's desk. "Oh, sweet Dolly Bailey. She sat out three bouts of the plague in this place. We all ran like rats. But what could have scared her so? She had such enormous spirit."

"'Rage, rage against the dying of the light'." The Doctor muttered, holding his head in his hands.

Shakespeare's gaze lighted on him. "I might use that," he said.

"You can't." The Doctor responded, hands underneath his chin. "It's someone else's."

"'Do not go gentle into that good night,'" Izzy began. "Sorry dear William, but that uh… _will_ be property of one Dylan Thomas." The Doctor gave her a look. "What? I like my poetry."

"But the thing is," Martha brought them back to the matter at hand. "Lynley drowned on dry land, Dolly died of fright and they were both connected to you."

"Are you accusing me?" The playwright inquired.

"No, but I saw a witch—big as you like, flying and cackling away—and you've written about witches."

"I have? When was that?" _Come to think of it, I have no idea how early in his career we are. What if we're the ones giving inspiration for his future plays? But that would mean that even before we met the Doctor we would already have come back here to affect the future…_ Izzy resolved not to think on the complexity of time travel; it did no good for her tired brain.

The Doctor corrected Martha in a low voice, "Not, not quite yet." He looked back at the desk, pensive.

"Peter Streete spoke of witches." Shakespeare stated.

"Who's Peter Streete?" Izzy had never heard of him.

"Our builder. He sketched the plans to the Globe."

"The architect. " The Doctor seemed to have an epiphany. "The architect! The architect!" He slapped his hand to the desk. "The Globe! Come on!" He ran out the door, leaving the rest of the company to chase after him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor spun slowly around in the area before the stage. Martha stood with Shakespeare center stage while Izzy sat on the edge facing the Doctor, dangling her short legs over the side and swinging them back and forth. "The columns there, right? 14 sides. I've always wondered but never asked… Tell me, Will, why 14 sides?"

"It was the shape Peter Streete thought best, that's all; said it carried the sound well." The playwright shrugged.

"Why does that ring a bell?" The Doctor muttered. "14…"

"There are 14 lines in a sonnet." Martha offered.

"So there is. Good point. Words and shapes following the same design." The Doctor started to pace. "14 lines, 14 sides, 14 facets… Oh, my head," he groaned. "Tetradecagon… Think, think, think! Words, letters, numbers, lines!" The Doctor thumped the top of his head to each word.

"This is just a theatre." Shakespeare sighed.

"Oh, but a theatre's magic, isn't it?" The Time Lord countered. "You should know. Stand on this stage, say the right words with the right emphasis at the right time…" He moved to lean on the stage next to Izzy. He watched her as he spoke. "Oh, you can make men weep, or cry with joy, change them. You can change people's minds just with words in this place. And if you exaggerate that…"

He stepped away to return to his pacing. "So, it's like your TARDIS," joked Izzy. "Small wooden box, with that that _power _inside." She gestured with her arms at 'power' a grin stretching her face.

"Oh," He turned to her. "Oh, Izzy Brannen, I like you." His companion looked pleased. She picked herself up from her sitting position and stood next to Martha. "Tell you what, though. Peter Streete would know. Can I talk to him?"

"You won't get an answer." Shakespeare returned. "A month after finishing this place… Lost his mind." Izzy's expression turned concerned.

"Why? What happened?" Martha asked.

"Started raving about witches, hearing voices, babbling. His mind was addled."

"Where is he now?" Izzy asked.

"Bedlam." He said, earning blank looks from the girls.

"What's Bedlam?"

"Bethlem Hospital. The madhouse." Shakespeare explained.

"We're gonna go there. Right now. Come on." The Doctor strode out of the theatre, his smaller companion quickening her own strides to keep up.

"Wait! I'm coming with you. I want to witness this first hand." Two young men entered as the Doctor exited. "Ralph: the last scene as promised. Copy it, hand it 'round. Learn it. Speak it. Back before curtain. Remember, kid, project. Eyes and teeth. You never know, the Queen might turn up." He walked after the Doctor, muttering under his breath. "As if. She never does."

Izzy stayed back with Martha and Shakespeare, knowing that she would have to run to catch up to the Doctor at the head of the group. "So, tell me of Freedonia, where women can be doctor, writers, actors… and speak as oddly as our Isolde does?" Shakespeare implored of Martha, still walking hurriedly.

"This country is ruled by a woman," Izzy pointed out on the other side of Martha.

"Ah, she's royal, that's God's business," he paused, "though you are a royal beauty." He looked down to Izzy's pale face turned scarlet, which only made her blue eyes glow brighter.

Martha stopped them. "Woah, Nelly. I know for a fact you've got a wife in the country."

The man gave a sly smile. "But Martha, this is town."

The Doctor turned back around to scold them. "Come on. We can all have a good flirt later."

"Is that a promise, Doctor?" Shakespeare asked, and Izzy flung a hand to her mouth to cover her laughter. It was no secret that the Doctor was an attractive man, but really, it seemed like the famous playwright threw himself at anything that moved.

"Ohhhh, 57 academics just punched the air. Now move!" The Doctor turned back around and took off at a jog. Izzy followed closely, but kept her distance from the whipping coattails of his trench.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Inhuman screams and stomach-wrenching moans attacked their ears, and Izzy inwardly cringed. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but when a 'patient' in the cell beside them flung himself into the bars, she flinched into the Doctor, grabbing his arm with both hands and holding herself close.

The guard leading them stopped. "Does my lord Doctor wish some entertainment while he waits? I'd whip these madmen. They'll put on a good show for ya. Bandog and Bedlam." The Doctor looked down to see Izzy's already moonlight-pale face blanch an unnatural white.

"No I don't." The Doctor's voice was bitter.

"Wait here, my lords, while I make him decent for the ladies." The guard walked away.

"Oh, sorry." Izzy dropped his arm as if just realizing she held it. She immediately missed his warmth, but distracted herself by looking about the corridor, her heart reaching out to the tortured minds. The Doctor frowned at her unnecessary apology, but said nothing.

"So, this is what you call a hospital, yeah?" Martha sounded more than a little mad. "Where the patients are whipped to entertain the gentry?" Izzy shuddered slightly at her harsh words. "And you put your friend in here?"

"Oh, it's all so different in Freedonia." Shakespeare muttered bitterly.

"But you're clever! Do you honestly think this place is good?" Martha countered.

"I've been mad." Shakespeare reminded them. "I've lost my mind. Fear of this place set me right again. It serves its purpose."

"Mad in what way?" Martha seemed skeptical.

"You lost your son." The Doctor answered softly.

"My only boy." Shakespeare explained. "The Black Death took him. And I wasn't even there."

Izzy stiffened, her face pulling tight like she was forcing back some emotion. The Doctor noticed and looked to her concernedly, but her eyes were unseeing, distant, as if remembering something.

"I didn't know. I'm sorry." Martha apologized with a quiet voice.

"It made me question everything." Shakespeare continued. "The futility of the fleeting existence. To be or not to be…" He seemed to mull the words over. "Oh, that's quite good."

"You should write that down." The Doctor said.

"Hmmm, maybe not. A bit pretentious?" The Doctor gave no input.

"This way, milord." The guard called. The Irish girl did not seem to notice and was still staring off into space with a pained look in her eye. The Doctor gently took one of the hands hanging limply at her sides. It seemed to wake her from her thoughts, and she looked at him as if she had forgotten he was there. She gave his hand an appreciative squeeze as he let the group into the cell. "They can be dangerous, milord. Don't know their own strength."

"It would help if you don't whip them." He snapped. "Now get out." The man left with a look of utter disbelief and puzzlement. The Doctor slowly approached the huddled figure, dropping Izzy's hand. "Peter? Peter Streete?"

"He's the same as he was. You'll get nothing out of him." Shakespeare said.

The alien laid a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Peter?" The pale eyes that met his were haunted.

The Doctor placed his fingers on either side of Peter's face. He closed his eyes for a heavy moment, then opened them again. "Peter, I'm the Doctor. Go into the past, one year ago. Let your mind go back, back to when everything was fine and shining. Everything that happened in this year since happened to somebody else. It was just a story. A winter's tale. Let go. Listen. That's it, just let go." He gently lowered the madman to the cot. "Tell me the story, Peter. Tell me about the witches."

"Witches spoke to Peter. In the night, they whispered." He spoke in an excited tone, his diseased and decaying teeth shining in the candlelight. "Got Peter to build the Globe to their design. _Their _design! The 14 walls – always 14. When the work was done," Peter let out a laugh, long and low. The sound twisted Izzy's heart. "They snapped poor Peter's wits."

"Where did Peter see the witches?" The Doctor asked. "Where in the city?" He crouched again, his tone urgent. "Peter, tell me. You've got to tell me where are they?"

"All Hallows Street." Peter answered.

"Too many words." A wrinkled and crooked figure appeared suddenly next to the Doctor, and he leapt away.

"What the hell?" Martha cried out. The Doctor moved closer to his companions.

"Just one touch of the heart." The hag spoke. She lowered one gnarled hand to Peter's chest, and Izzy started forward.

"No!" The Doctor called, and she froze as the robed woman touched the place above her victim's heart.

Peter screamed before his eyes went blank. "Witch!" Shakespeare yelled. "I've seen a witch!"

"Who will be next, hmm?" The evil woman teased and seemed to almost dance with terrible glee. "Just one touch. Oh, oh," She said. "I'll stop your frantic little hearts. Poor fragile mortals."

Martha grabbed the cell bars and shook with all her might. Her voice matched the fever pitch of the crazed patients. "Let us out! Let us out!"

"That's not going to work," The Doctor inclined his head to her slightly. "The whole building's shouting that."

"Who will die first, hmm?" The witch taunted, flexing her horrid fingers.

"Well, if you're looking for volunteers." The Doctor took a step towards her.

"No, don't!" Martha cried, still holding onto the bars.

Izzy was still closest to Peter and the old hag. She said nothing, but stepped subtly into the Doctor's path.

"Doctor, can you stop her?" Shakespeare asked.

"No mortal has power over me." She straightened, offended by the suggestion.

He moved closer, until he was barely a hair's breadth away from Izzy's back. He did not approve of the tiny girl acting as his shield, but that was something to reprimand her for later. "Oh, but there's a power in words." The Doctor challenged. "If I can find the right one—if I can just know you…"

"None on Earth has knowledge of us." Her proud pose weakened some. His words sapped at her confidence.

"Then it's a good thing I'm here." The Doctor said. "Now, think, think, think…" He muttered to himself. "Humanoid female, uses shapes and words to channel energy… ah, 14! That's it! 14! The 14 stars of the Rexel planetary configuration! Creature, I name you Carrionite!" The Carrionite howled as her body disappeared. Izzy relaxed and whipped around fast, thinking to face the Doctor. Unfortunately, he was still standing directly behind her, so she ended up smashing her face into his chest instead.

"Oh, _again_," she spoke softly, rubbing her sore nose. "I find my face is much too easily acquainted with hard surfaces. Thanks for scaring away old bird-lady, though." The Doctor frowned lightly at her before turning to the rest of the company.

"What did you do?" Martha asked, mystified.

"I named her. The power of a name: that's old magic." The Doctor stressed 'old.'

"But…" Martha seemed bewildered. Izzy couldn't blame her. After all, the Doctor had just finished explaining that night how there was no such thing. "There's no such thing as magic."

"Well…" He explained, "it's just a different sort of science. You lot, you chose mathematics. Given the right string of numbers, the right equation, you can split the atom."

"And these 'witches' use words?" Izzy moved to stand next to Shakespeare.

"Yes, exactly." He smiled appreciatively at her.

"Use them for what?" Shakespeare pressed

The Time Lord's face fell serious again. "The end of the world."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The Carrionites disappeared, way back at the dawn of the universe. Nobody was sure if they were real or legend." The Doctor paced as Shakespeare washed his face in the security of his room.

"Well, I'm going for real." Shakespeare said. He wiped his face with a towel.

"Peter sure thought so," Izzy said softly, her tone somber.

"But what do they want?" Martha asked.

"A new empire on Earth." A stopped his pacing, leaning against a chair alongside Izzy. "A world of bones and blood and witchcraft."

"A never ending Halloween. Without the sweets." Izzy made a disgusted face.

"But how?" Martha pressed.

"I'm looking at the man with the words." The Doctor turned to Shakespeare.

"Me? But I've done nothing."

"Hold on then," Izzy realized something. "What _were _you doing when that Carrionite came into your room? When we came in, it looked like you had just woken up."

"Finishing the play." Shakespeare asserted. The Doctor looked to him.

"What happens on the last page?" He asked.

"The boys get the girls. They have a bit of a dance. It's all funny and thought provoking as usual—except those last few lines. Funny things is… I don't actually remember writing them."

"That's it. They used you." The Doctor explained, slowly building up momentum. "They gave you the final words. Like a spell, like a code! _Love's Labors Won_—it's a weapon! The right combination of words, spoken at the right place with the shape of the Globe as an energy converter! The play's the thing!" The Doctor paused and Izzy smiled wide when she recognized the line. "And yes, you can have that."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"All Hallows Street." The Doctor pointed to the name on a map. "There it is. Martha, Izzy, we'll track them down." He spoke to Shakespeare. "Will, you get to the Globe. Whatever you do, stop that play!"

"I'll do it." Shakespeare took the Doctor's hand and shook it. "All these years I've been the cleverest man around. Next to you, I know nothing."

"Oh, don't complain." Martha teased.

"I'm not. It's marvelous. Good luck, Doctor."

"Good luck to you too, Will." Izzy smiled at the man.

"Once more unto the breach!" The Doctor said, running out of the room with the girls fast behind.

"I like that! Wait a minute… That's one of mine." The playwright realized.

The Doctor returned to poke his head through the doorway. "Oh just shift."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The trio ran down to the street. "All Hallows Street, but which house?" The Doctor asked himself.

"The thing is, though… Aren't we missing something?" Martha spoke up. The Doctor and Izzy paused to look at her. "The world didn't end if 1599. It just didn't. Look at us—we're living proof."

"Oh, how to explain mechanics of the infinite temporal flux?" The Doctor groaned. "I know! 'Back to the Future'! It's like 'Back to the Future'!"

"The film?"Martha still looked confused

"No the novelization." The Doctor answered sarcastically. "Yes the film." Martha gave him a look. "Marty McFly goes back and changes history."

"And he started fading away." Martha stated as if suddenly realizing something.

"What? We're going to fade?" Izzy blinked. "But wouldn't there still be a reality where this never happened and we still existed?"

He turned to her. "Good!" he seemed pleased with her curiosity. "Yes, there would, but this you wouldn't exist anymore."

"So we're still gone."

"You and the entire future of the human race. It ends right now in 1599, if we don't stop it. But which house?" A door to the house in front of them creaked open.

"OooOOoo…" Izzy whispered the sounds of a ghost while lifting her hands slightly and shaking her fingers. She acted silly to lighten the mood, but her heart had started to flutter wildly.

"Ah, make that _witch _house." The Doctor gave a small near-smile and walked over to the door. Izzy followed, keeping her face calm. Martha stared after them for a moment before deciding to follow, too.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor and his companions walked into the creepy room where a younger-looking Carrionite was waiting. "I take it we're expected."

"Oh I think death has been waiting for you for a very long time," she said mysteriously.

"Right then, it's my turn." Martha strode forward, confident. "I know how to do this." She pointed at the woman. "I name thee, Carrionite!" The alien gasped, but her smug smile returned seconds later. Martha turned to the Doctor, still pointing the finger. "What did I do wrong? Was it the finger?"

"The power of a name only works once. Observe," She pointed to Martha. "I gaze upon this bag of bones and now I name thee Martha Jones." Martha's eyes rolled back and she fell. Izzy helped to catch her. They eased her to the floor gently.

"What have you done?" The Doctor cried.

"Martha! Come on Martha!" Izzy hissed, shaking her friend. When she received no response, she stood and moved to the Doctor's side.

"Only sleeping, alas. Curious, the name has less impact." The Doctor turned to look at her. "She's somehow out of her time." She turned to the remaining girl. Izzy stiffened and the witch began, "Thoust hold the name of lover old; I name thine beauty…" Izzy cried out, trying to stop her while the Doctor stood with a panicked expression, but the witch continued strong. "Isolde!"

Izzy began to collapse, but the Doctor, suddenly behind her, stopped her fall and held her limp body tightly to his own. He could feel her chest rising and falling lightly in his arms and his immediate fears were quieted.

Izzy kept trying to wake, but she could not break through the black veil holding her down. She could hear everything, even the twin heart beats of the Doctor. She could feel his arms holding her useless body gently, tenderly, yet she could not wake completely.

"Hmm. They are both far from home. The little one is split between two..." She remarked with an air of unimportance. She turned to the Doctor, her smug smile sharpening. "As for you, Sir Doctor!" The woman paused, still pointing. "Fascinating. There is no name. Why would a man hide his title in such despair? Oh, but look." The Carrionite smiled wickedly. "There's still one word with the power of the day." Izzy felt the Doctor tense, and in her mind she struggled to make her limbs move again so she could help him.

"The naming won't work on me." The Doctor said, and he slowly lowered Izzy to the ground beside Martha.

"But your heart grows cold. The north wind blows and carries down the distant…" She paused for effect, "Rose."

"Oh, big mistake." Izzy heard him leave her side, his steps angry. "'Cause that name keeps me fighting! The Carrionites vanished! Where did you go?"

The Carrionite walked closer to the window. "The Eternals found the right word to banish us into deep darkness."

"How did you escape then?" The Doctor's voice was still angry, urgent. Izzy wondered how much this friend Rose meant to him, to make him so incensed at just the mention of her name.

"New words. New and glittering from a mind like no other." She seemed to caress the words as they left her lips.

"Shakespeare."

"His son perished. The grief of a genius. Grief without measure. Madness enough to allow us entrance." Again, Izzy's heart went out to Will. She could not imagine the strength of his grief, the ragged emptiness that one felt where the heart had once been.

"How many of you?" The Doctor former his intensity quieted.

"Just the three of us." She seemed very casual about detailing her plans to the enemy. "But the play tonight shall restore the rest. Then the human race will be purged as pestilence. And from this world we will lead the universe back to the old ways of blood and magic."

"Hmm…" The Doctor scratched his face, completely calm now. "Busy schedule," The Doctor walked boldly to the Carrionite. "But first, you gotta get past me."

"Oh," Izzy fought harder against sleep. She heard the way the other woman purred, and heat flared in her chest. Whatever emotion it was she felt in reaction to the Carrionite's advances, it certainly wasn't friendly. "That should be a pleasure considering my enemy has such a handsome shape." Beyond her immediate disgust, Izzy mentally had to agree with the witch. _Not that I'll ever tell _him_ that._

"Now," The Doctor spoke, sounding unmoved. "That's one form of magic that's definately not gonna work on me."

"Oh, we'll see." Izzy heard a snip.

"What did you do?" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Souvenir." She sounded smug.

"Well give it back." Izzy finally snapped open her eyes and lifted herself half off the floor, just in time to see the Carrionite fly out the window and hover. "Well, that's just cheating." The Doctor was looking out the window, facing away from the Irish girl.

"Behold, Doctor. Men to Carrionites are nothing but…" She whipped out a small straw figure. "Puppets!" The woman wrapped the Time Lord's hair around the doll.

"Now, you might call that magic… I'd call that a DNA replication module." The Doctor corrected.

"What use is you're science now?" The witch said bitterly. In the same breath, she stabbed the straw puppet in the chest. The Doctor fell with a cry, and she flew off with a wicked cackle.

"Doctor!" Izzy screamed. She scrambled up completely before throwing herself next to him. She put a shaking hand to his chest, her blood gone cold with dread.

"Oh my God! Doctor!" Martha had awoken and joined her.

Underneath her hand she felt a single beating heart. She pulled her hand away and slapped his chest, none to gently. "Hey, mister! Two hearts!" She lowered her head exhaustedly, but smiled while she spoke. "Never scare me like that again."

"You're making a habit of this." He smiled and stood up fast, only to collapse. Izzy held him up as he winced. "Ah… I've only got one heart working." He let out a painful gasp, looking to Izzy incredulously. "How do you people cope?"

"We manage to stay out of trouble. You, however, are another story," Izzy reminded him.

"I've got to get the other one started." The Doctor ignored her. "Hit me! Hit me in the chest!" Martha thumped him hard. "Aaah!" He groaned. "Other side!" His voice rose in pain. Martha adjusted accordingly and hit him again. He fell to his hands and knees. "On the back! On the back!"

Martha hit him with both hands fisted. "Left a bit."

"Wait," Izzy formed a fist, "this one's mine." She hit him hard in the back, effectively restarting his alien heart. "That's for scaring me."

"Ah!" He got onto his knees, smiling playfully at the blue-eyed girl. "Lovely. There we go! Ba-da-boom-ba!" They all stood, and the girls just smiled wide at his absurdity. He tore off out the door. "Well, what are you two standing there for? Come on! The Globe!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

They sprinted down the street, Izzy alongside the Doctor and Martha trailing behind."Doctor, we're going the wrong way!" Izzy stopped suddenly as she remembered the map they looked at.

"No we're not." She let him and Martha continue in the opposite direction. He ran halfway down the street before turning back again, never pausing. "We're going the wrong way!" Izzy took off just ahead of him.

"What is it with men and directions?" She teased, letting his long legs catch up.

"Izzy! Not now!" His voice was stern but his eyes were smiling.

They ran through the streets and turned a corner to see a swirling red storm reaching from the Globe. The preacher man they had seen earlier was yelling with enthusiasm. "I told thee so! I told thee!"

"Stage door!" The Doctor yelled, and the trio took off again.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

As the main doors closed around them, the Doctor and his companions ran through the stage door to see Shakespeare sitting on some crates. "Yeah, stop the play! Think that was it! Yeah, I said, 'stop the play'!"

"I hit my head." The man still seemed dazed.

"Yeah, don't rub it—you'll go bald." The Doctor looked to the source of the rising screams. "I think that's my cue!" He ran out the door, Izzy straight behind. Martha grabbed Shakespeare's hand and led him out the door.

Hundreds of sinister dark figures flew about the theatre while the original three cackled in triumph. The crowd screamed in terror and pointed. Izzy ignored her dark hair whipping about her face with the wind and instead watched the Doctor. It seemed a plan was forming in his head and she wanted to be ready for it.

The Doctor reached behind him and grabbed the playwright. "Come on, Will! History needs you!"

"But what can I do?" Shakespeare braced against the wind.

"Reverse it!" The Doctor yelled over the din.

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"The shape of the Globe gives words power, but you're the wordsmith, the one true genius: the only man clever enough to do it!"

"But what words? I have none ready!" Shakespeare was still panicked.

"You're William Shakespeare!" The Doctor reminded him urgently.

"But these Carrionite phrases, they need such precision!"

"Trust yourself, Will!" Izzy cried, moving over to hold his arm.

The Doctor continued. "When you lock yourself into your room, the words come, right? It's like magic. Words with the right shape, the right sound, the right rhythm – words that will last forever! That's what you do, William Shakespeare! You chose the perfect words! Now come on, you can do it! Improvise!" The two stood back to give him space.

"You should be a motivational speaker someday, if this saving the world thing doesn't work out for you." Izzy looked up, shielding her eyes from the debris, to see the Doctor chuckling lightly.

"…Close up this den of hateful, dire decay! Decomposition of your witches' plot! You thieve my brains, consider me your toy. My doting Doctor tells me I am not!" Izzy smiled wide, proud to see Shakespeare in his element.

"No! Words of power!" The youngest-looking Carrionite cried in fear.

"Foul Carrionite specters, cease your show! Between the points…" He looked to the Doctor.

"7-6-1-3-9-0!"

"7-6-1-3-9-0!" Shakespeare called out. "And banished like a tinker's cuss, I say to thee…" The Doctor opened and closed his mouth, just as stumped as the wordsmith.

"Expelliarmus!" Martha yelled out.

"Expelliarmus!" The Doctor and Izzy chorused.

"Expelliarmus!" Shakespeare yelled as the actor beside him shouted the same.

"Good old JK!" The Doctor shouted, his grin splitting his face.

The three Carrionites screamed from their place in the booth. "The deep darkness! They are consumed!" Izzy had to shield her eyes as papers flew out from the open stage door. The play was sucked into the tornado with the Carrionites.

"_Love's Labors Won._ There it goes!"

The clouds and Carrionites disappeared in a spot of light. The crowd made relieved sounds, but they seemed unsure whether it was real or not. In the end, they started clapping, and the Doctor exited through the stage door.

"They think it was all special effects?" Izzy questioned.

"Your effect is special indeed." Shakespeare looked to the small girl with a sly smile.

Martha laughed. "Not your best line."

Martha took Shakespeare's hand and stepped forward in a joined bow. Izzy dropped back with a quiet smile. She exited through the stage door just as the cast on stage took a final bow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Izzy sat next to Shakespeare on chest center stage. "…and I say, 'A heart for a heart, and a deer for a deer." He obviously thought it funny, but Izzy only gave him a blank stare.

"Yeah, sorry, right over my head." Izzy smiled wryly.

The man opposite her shook his head. "Then give me a joke from Freedonia."

"Alright, I got this one from my cousin." Izzy smiled, then began, "Shakespeare walks into a pub and the landlord says, 'Oi mate, you're bard.'" Izzy laughed lightly, and Shakespeare joined.

"That's brilliant. Doesn't make sense, mind you, but never mind that—come 'ere," He put an arm behind the small woman's back and pulled her towards him.

"Hey, mister. I only met you the other day!" Izzy's pale face showed a slight blush in response to the close proximity.

He moved his face ever closer. "The Doctor may never kiss you; why not entertain a man who will?"

Izzy looked relieved and used a finger to his chest to push him away. "Ah, you see, that's where you're wrong. He already has. First day we met, too. Shows how much of the charmer I am," she smiled slyly, relaxing back.

"Charming who?" The Doctor entered from the back room, with Martha trailing behind.

"Nobody," Izzy said quickly.

"Anyway… Good props back there!" He said cheerfully. He held up an animal scull. "I'm not sure about this though, reminds me of a Sycorax."

"Sycorax. Nice word." This word-borrowing seemed a habit for him. "I'll have that off you as well."

"I should be on 10%." The Doctor said.

"How's your head?" Martha asked.

"Still aching." He responded.

"Here, I got you this." The Doctor took the ruffled collar off his own neck and put it on Shakespeare's. "Neck brace. Wear that a few days 'till it's better. Although, you might want to keep it. It suits you."

"What about the play?" Izzy asked.

"Gone. We've looked all over. Every single copy of _Love's Labors Won_ went up into the sky." The Doctor looked to the sky above.

"My lost masterpiece." Shakespeare said with chagrin.

"You could write it up again." Martha soothed.

"Yeah, better not, Will," the Doctor cautioned. "There's still power in those words. Maybe it should best stay forgotten."

"Oh, but I've got new ideas." Shakespeare said looking to the Time Lord. "Perhaps it's time I wrote about fathers and sons. In memory of my boy – my precious Hamnet." Izzy looked to the Doctor, confused.

"Hamnet?" Martha questioned. _So I didn't hear him wrong then._

"That's him."

"Ham-_net_?" Martha pressed, standing next to the Doctor.

"What's wrong with that?"

"Oh, no, it's a wonderful name. Just sounds a bit familiar, that's all."

"Anyway," The Doctor stopped them. "Time we were off. I've got a nice attic in the TARDIS where this lot," he tapped the crystal ball that held the trapped Carrionites. "Can scream for all eternity, and I've got to take Martha and Izzy back to Freedonia."

"You mean travel on through time and space?" Shakespeare asked with a knowing look.

"You what?" The Doctor sounded cautious.

"You're from another world like the Carrionites and Martha and Izzy are from the future." Izzy's amazed smile grew. "It's not hard to work out."

"That's… Incredible. You are incredible." The Doctor nodded his head as if reminding the man of common knowledge.

"We are alike in many ways, Doctor." The master wordsmith replied. "Izzy—" The wordsmith turned back to the woman beside him. Martha next to the Doctor looked amazed as he began. "Let me say a goodbye to you in a new verse; a sonnet for my fairest beauty. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more temperate—" Shakespeare thankfully was cut off by two incoming actors. Izzy's shocked face told how stunned she was to learn that one of Shakespeare's most famous sonnets was inspired by her.

"Will! Will! You'll never believe it!" The larger one shouted excitedly. "She's here! She's turned up!"

"We're the talk of the town." The darker-haired man smiled brightly. "She heard about last night! She wants us to perform it again."

"Who?" Martha asked.

"Her majesty! She's here!" He exclaimed as if it was obvious by his obscurities.

A heavily powdered and ornamented red-head walked stiffly into the Globe. "Queen Elizabeth the First!" The Doctor exclaimed.

"Doctor!" The Queen said, her painted mouth hissing out the words. _I wonder if she smokes. Sure sounds like it._

"What?" The Doctor asked.

"My sworn enemy!" She continued.

"What?" He sounded increasingly confused.

"Off with their heads!" The Queen commanded. _Oh this is _so _Alice in Wonderland._

"What?" The Doctor cried for a third time. Izzy was beginning to notice he said it quite a lot.

"Never mind 'what', just run! See you, Will! And thanks!" Martha ran out the door.

Izzy leaned over, giving Shakespeare a quick peck on the cheek before running out after the Doctor. "You keep working on that sonnet, mister! I want to read it someday," she called, and the sound of Shakespeare's laughter following them. Unfortunately, so were the footsteps of the Queen's guard.

"I just kissed William Shakespeare on the cheek!" Izzy cheered, punching the air as she sprinted. The Doctor let out a short laugh that was carried by the wind.

They ran out to the streets, looking back behind them. "Stop, in the name of the Queen!"

"What have you done to upset her?" Martha cried.

"How should I know? I haven't met her yet!" The Doctor ran while reaching a hand into his coat. The Doctor and Martha reached the TARDIS doors first. "That's time travel for you! Still, can't wait to find out." Izzy caught up, and as she entered, she could hear him still talking at the doorway. "That's something to look forward to. Oh!" He slipped in and closed the door just as an arrow struck the wood.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: **I realized halfway through writing this that Izzy has an American accent. Since she grew up in Ireland she had an accent when she was little, but worked on her American accent to stop constant teasing from her very cruel classmates (my grandma had to do the same, so I was inspired). Anyway, she now has an American one, and I felt very stupid for not remembering that there were no established American colonies where Shakespeare would be exposed to an American accent. And then I realized that in the first scene with Will, Izzy is mute. Oh so many flaws to correct.

My stupid American computer will not let be type in any English affectations. I apologize for being so glaringly non-British. I try to stay as true to the show's natural inclination to the UK as I can, but being so very American myself, it is hard to keep the colloquialisms in line when I am not using a direct quote from the show. Random fact you never needed to know: I am, by happy circumstance, exactly half-Irish and half-Danish, even though curiously enough both my parents have never been to their country of nationality. My mother comes from Irish parents and my father comes from Danish parents, and both were born in the US. Makes me a very pale, very blue-eyed girl of slightly below average height living in the sunny Southern California jungle of tall, tan models. I sympathize with Izzy, who is a mix of my friend and I. Random personality is mine, height and various talents are hers. She has an amazing singing voice; sounds exactly like Sia, who is amazing. I promised her I'd give a voice to Izzy somewhere.

Well. That note was full of absolutely nothing of importance. I apologize. Next chapter may take a while. I have to watch the episode again to get a sense of where I want Izzy to be in the storyline, and all that moving around they do is going to be hard to tackle. Again, if you would like to review, please do so. This is purely for my own entertainment, and your reading pleasure. I expect nothing of you, dear readers, other than to avoid the awkwardness of leaving an intentionally hurtful review.

**Farvel venner****, Ellie**


	3. Gridlock

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Doctor Who. I do own a kitten, though! He's got the oddest little marking on his chest; looks like a bowtie. Well, it's more of a rectangular blob, but that's bowtie enough for me. So like the silly girl I am, I named him Eleven. He's a wonderful lap cat :D

Thanks for the story alerts and the faves and the reviews. Thank you **LOPE** and **S H I N K U.S H I R A Y U K I **for the first reviews! Both positive, too. It's a wonderful boost of confidence on a gloomy day. Anyway, enjoy.

**EDIT: Fixed a few typos and errors, thanks to **Callixte Amarante**'s gracious review. I really have no idea why I wrote Hane so many times when I very much understood that it was Hame. Forgive my early-onset dementia and enjoy the polished chapter.**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Just one trip—that's what I said—one trip in the TARDIS and then home." The Doctor scratched the back of his head while looking at his passengers. Izzy tried to keep her face void of disappointment. She knew the end of the trip was coming, but it had seemed so short of a trip; she wanted to see more. He paused. "Although, I suppose we could… stretch the definition." Martha just looked at him, and Izzy could feel a hopeful smile forming. "Say, one trip in the past one trip in the future. How do you fancy that?" Martha practically bounced for joy and Izzy, well… the Doctor had never seen a bigger smile.

"No complaints from me!" Martha said excitedly.

"How about," his voice lowered as he leaned towards them, "a different planet?"

"Can we go to yours?" Martha asked innocently.

He paused, his smile falling minutely. "Nah, there's plenty of other places." He fiddled with controls on the console, not meeting Martha's eyes. Izzy recognized the clear signs of avoidance and frowned slightly. She lifted herself of the chair and leaned lightly on the console to the left of the Doctor. The little brunette stayed quiet, watching his face carefully. He either consciously ignored her or didn't notice.

Martha pressed on, however, coming around the console to his other side. "Come on, though. I mean, Planet of the Time Lords, that's got to be worth a look!" Her voice grew soft. "What's it like?"

"It's beautiful, yeah," he replied offhandedly, still avoiding eye contact. Izzy's own eyes narrowed.

"Is it like, you know, outer space city all spires and stuff?" She turned away and gestured grandly.

"I suppose it is."

"Great big temples and cathedrals," Martha continued.

"Yeah." Izzy could see it wasn't a subject he was enthusiastic about. She wished she could shut Martha up, but the other woman seemed to be on a roll.

"Lots of planets in the sky?" She had turned back around to the Doctor, her face expectant.

Izzy finally saw something give. "The sky's a burnt orange with the citadel enclosed in a mighty glass dome, shining under the twin suns." His voice grew quieter. "Beyond that, the mountains go on forever; slopes of deep red grass, capped with snow." Izzy was in awe of the beautiful picture he had painted in her mind, and the tenderness in the way he described his home.

Clearly Martha was, too. Her dark eyes shone. "Can we go there?"

The Doctor seemed to catch himself and looked away from her. He flicked a few more controls, and his eyes caught a glimpse of Izzy next to him. Instead of sharing Martha's enthusiasm, she looked concerned, calculating as she watched his face intently. He quickly turned back to Martha. "Nah, where's the fun for me? I don't wanna go home! Instead," he came alive again and rapidly pumped a lever, "this is much better." The TARDIS gave a little shake and the Doctor ran circles around the controls. "The year five billion and fifty-three—planet New Earth. Second home of mankind, fifty billion light-years from your old world and we're slap bang in the middle of New New York."

Izzy could barley follow his rapid words, but it seemed he expected that. She and Martha rushed to the top of the ramp where their pilot was putting on his coat. He apparently wasn't done. "Although, technically it's the fifteenth New York since the original so it's New New New New New New New New New New New New New New New York." They reached the door and he opened it for them. Martha walked out and the Doctor put a hand on Izzy's back to guide her out. "One of the most dazzling cities ever built."

Izzy and Martha were immediately drenched. "A—oh that's nice. Time Lord-version of dazzling." Martha said sarcastically while zipping up her jacket. Izzy stood frozen with her shoulders hunched to her neck.

"Nah, a bit of rain never hurt anyone!" He looked to Izzy and had to bite back a laugh. She was glaring up at him with her glowing eyes, seemingly trying to look intimidating. Unfortunately, with her arms tight around her already small body and her dark hair flattened to her head, she looked more like a half-drowned kitten. He did allow a small smile and put an arm around her and Martha, ducking in the rain. "Come on, let's get under cover." They ran down the alley, the Doctor still trying to cover little Izzy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The three reached a wider part of the alley. "Well it looks like same old Earth to me, on a Wednesday afternoon," Izzy said, holding her jacket close around her.

"Hold on, hold on, let's have a look." They dove under a little green overhang and the Doctor took out the sonic. The blue-tipped device whirred as he pointed it to a blacked out screen on the wall. He hit it several times and it came to life, showing a blonde woman at a desk.

"And the driving should be clear and easy with fifteen extra lanes open for the New New Jersey Expressway," she was saying. The scene switched to a shining city with futuristic flying cars zooming by.

"Oh that's more like it," the Doctor said, tapping the screen. "That's the view we had last time. This must be the lower levels." He peeked his head out to look around. "The basement of the tower; some sort of undercity."

Martha sounded indignant. "You've brought _me_ to the slums."

"Martha, I'm here, too." She shot a pointed look at Martha. "Honestly Doctor, I wouldn't mind, except you've gotten me _wet._ I don't like being wet." She glared at him again, still looking like a half-drowned kitten.

The Doctor's lips twitched. "This is much more interesting! It's all cocktails and glitter up there." He used his hand for emphasis. "This is the real city."

Izzy rolled her eyes, smiling. "You'd enjoy anything."

"That's me." He smiled. "Ah, the rain's stopping—better and better!" He walked out.

And then Martha had to be her too-curious self. "When you say 'last time,' was that you and Rose?"

Izzy froze, looking between the Doctor and Martha. When she was forced asleep by the Carrionite, she heard his reaction to the mention of Rose. It seemed to be a sensitive subject for him, and Martha seemed much too good at bringing those up.

"Um… yeah. Yeah, it was, yeah." He agreed faux-casually.

"You're taking me to the same planets you took her." Martha said, her eyes shifting down.

"What's wrong with that?" He shrugged, obviously missing it.

"Nothing!" Martha pushed past him, "Just a bit of _rebound_."

Izzy held up a finger. "Um, again: _I'm_ here, too." She looked to the Doctor in exaggerated disbelief. "Am I just so short that she doesn't notice me? Maybe I should speak up more. Or maybe she's just a one-on-one kind of person." She poked the Doctor in the chest. "Or _maybe_ I should just give you two some alone time and go be the third wheel somewhere else." She only was half-teasing. Truthfully, she was feeling more left out each time Martha ignored her when addressing the Doctor. Still, there's no way she'd tell him that.

The Doctor looked ready to protest when suddenly a green panel was opened. A man propped up the overhang and started talking rapidly. "Oh, you should have said. How long you been there? Happy—you want happy."

Another panel lifted and a woman started yelling, "Customers, we've got customers!"

The booth next to her opened also. "We're in business." They all began to talk at once towards the small company, offering various little packets.

"No, thanks." The Doctor turned away from the man, his face expressing his clear distaste.

"Are they selling drugs?" Izzy asked, still holding herself.

"I think they're selling moods," he frowned.

"Same thing isn't it?" Martha finished.

A young woman in a black shawl entered the small square. The shop owners all started to call in their various voices. "Over here!"

She walked up to the red-headed shopkeeper. "Come over here, yeah. And what can I get you, my love?"

"I want to buy Forget," the woman in the shawl said.

"I've got Forget, my darling. What strength? How much you want forgetting?"

The woman turned her eyes down. "It's my mother and father—they went on the motorway." The Doctor approached her.

"Well, that's a shame! Try this: Forget 43." She handed her a small sticker. "That's two credits."

She paid and took her sticker eagerly. "Sorry," the Doctor interrupted, "but hold on a minute. What happened to your parents?"

"They drove off."

"Yeah, but, they might drive back…" he tried.

"Everyone goes to the motorway in the end." She shook her head. "I've lost them."

"But they can't have gone far—you can find them," The Doctor tried again. She put the patch on her neck anyway. "No, no, no don't!" He sighed.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" She gave him a blank look.

"Your parents," he reminded. "Your mother and father, they're on the motorway."

"Are they?" She blinked. "That's nice." Izzy looked horrified. "I'm sorry, I won't keep you." She left peacefully.

"So that's the human race, five billion years in the future?" Martha asked bitterly, still standing near the edge of the steam. "Off their heads on chemicals."

Izzy looked to her, just in time to see a figure come up behind her. "Martha!"

The woman screamed as a stranger's arm was thrown around her neck, causing the Doctor to turn. Izzy dove towards her friend but was forced to lean back by the gun pointed at her face. "Sorry," the man was saying, "I'm really, really sorry!" The woman continued to point between Izzy and the Doctor as they backed up.

The Doctor pointed his arm threateningly following them. "Let her go! Whatever you want, I can help. I can help, but first you've got to let her go!"

Izzy spoke at the same time, pleading. "Give her back, please! Take me if you want, just let her go!" The woman with the gun hesitated, taking in Izzy's petite figure. Izzy implored again, "Let us help, the Doctor can help!"

They started backing up again, and Martha was lost through the door. "I'm sorry, we're so sorry." The door slammed shut.

Izzy ran to it and pulled hard at the handle. It wouldn't budge. The Doctor put the sonic to the lock and yanked it open. They both sprinted though the dirty corridor to the door beyond. The Doctor threw it open, but they were too late—the flying car had already lifted off the ground.

"Martha!" The Time Lord shouted desperately. Izzy could only stand there with a stricken look on her face as she watched her kidnapped friend fly away.

"Doctor," she touched his arm gently. "We should go back; ask those people if they know anything to help."

He turned to look at her, the furious look still in his eyes. She took a half step back with a near-hurt expression, not sure if that look was for her—if he blamed her for what happened.

Seeing her reaction, he calmed some and took her small hand in his. He nodded, and they took off again back towards the pharmacy shops.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Time Lord's fist thumped roughly on the panel. The red-head opened the window with a smile.

"Thought you two'd come back! Want some happy Happy?" _Always selling. Did she not see a person abducted right in front of them?_ Izzy's thoughts were furious.

The Doctor was angry again. "Those people, who were they? Where did they take her?"

The man opened his window behind them. "They've taken her to the motorway." He spoke casually.

"Looked like carjackers to me," the woman added.

The black woman interrupted. "I'd give up now, darling. You won't see her again."

"Used to be thriving, this place; you couldn't move. But they all go to the motorway in the end."

Izzy strode forward angrily. "They kept saying three, 'we need three.' What did they mean?" Her tense expression mirrored the Doctor's.

The red-head spoke again, turning the Doctor and Izzy around. "It's a car sharing policy, to save fuel. You get special access if you're carrying three adults."

"This motorway, how do we get there?" The Doctor pressed.

"Straight down the alley, keep going to the end, you can't miss it." The Doctor moved forward and Izzy followed determinedly. The seller continued. "Tell you what, buy some happy Happy for you and your pretty lady friend. Then you'll be smiling, my love." She gave him a wink as he started back towards her. Izzy stayed in the cover of the steam, listening.

"Word of advice, all of you: cash up, close down, and pack your bags."

"Why's that, then?"

"Because as soon as I've found her alive and well—and I will find her alive and well—I'm coming back. And this street is closing—tonight!" He stalked off, grabbing Izzy's elbow. "You stay with me. Do not wander off."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

They reached the motorway access point and the Doctor sonic-ed it open. He entered first, not knowing what to expect. Izzy followed cautiously and was met by a wall of thick acrid fumes. She joined the Doctor, who was coughing with increasing force. She covered her mouth with her blazer collar, but that did little to improve her breathing. She looked at all the hundreds of rows of floating cars above and below her. _How are we going to find Martha in this? We can't even breathe!_

The door to the car in front of them slid open, and a man with a scarf over his mouth called to them. "Hey, you daft little street struts! What're you doing standing there? Either get out or get in—come on!" He gestured for them to jump.

The two looked at each other before running down the steps. The Doctor jumped first, landing safely. Izzy jumped fine, but crashed into the Doctor's chest, coughing with him. She disentangled herself as he was handed an oxygen mask. Her own chest heaved with horrible coughs that shook her thin frame. The Doctor took of the mask and put it on Izzy, stopping her shaking by holding her loosely to his body.

Izzy relaxed into him, eyes closed and breathing deep as she listened to their rescuer talk about a woman with a 50-foot-head. Her mind was still too oxygen-deprived to pay attention to the whole story. _Something about picking noses?_

The woman in the passenger seat spoke urgently. "Bran, we're moving!"

"Right, I'm there, I'm on it." He put the car in gear and revved it forward… only to stop 20 yards later. He turned to them. "Twenty yards; we're having a good day." Izzy took off the mask and gave it back to the Doctor, who sucked in a few more clean breaths. She straightened herself from his arms and finally studied the driver. With the scarf off, she could see his face was that of a humanoid tabby cat. Her stomach performed an excited flip as she realized she just met her first _friendly_ alien. "And who might you be, sir?" He paused, looking around him at Izzy, "and lady? Both very well dressed for hitchhikers." Izzy looked down at her clothing, which she absentmindedly noticed was now mostly dry; she was still wearing the nice clothes from Martha's party.

The Doctor took off the mask again. "Thanks. Sorry, I'm the Doctor."

"Medical man, ah ha! My name's Thomas Kincade Brannigan," he smiled and gestured lovingly to the woman next to him, "and this is the bane of my life, the lovely Valerie."

"Nice to meet you." Valerie said kindly.

"And that's the rest of the family behind you." Brannigan continued, pointing to the source of mewing. The Doctor looked behind the curtain as Brannigan addressed Izzy. "And who are you, pretty lass?"

Izzy smiled widely and held out her hand. "Izzy Brannen. Very nice to meet you. Thank you so very much for taking us in." She looked happily at the kitten the Doctor now held. "Your family is beautiful. How old are they?" She asked as she picked up a kitten herself.

"Just two months." Valerie pet the kitten in Izzy's arms.

"Poor little souls—they've never known the ground beneath their paws." The Doctor and Izzy looked at him, puzzled. "Children of the motorway," he offered as explanation.

"They were born in here?" The Doctor asked.

Valerie nodded. "We couldn't stop. We heard there were jobs going, out it the Laundries on Fire Island, thought we'd take a chance."

The Doctor looked incredulous. "You've been driving for two months?"

Brannigan laughed. "Do I look like a teenager? We've been driving for twelve years now."

"I'm sorry?" Izzy thought she must have misheard.

"Yeah! Started out as newly-weds." He looked to his wife. "Feels like yesterday."

"Feels like twelve years to me." Valerie said, and Brannigan teased her.

"Twelve years! How far did you come? Where did you start?" The Doctor asked.

"Battery Park. It's five miles back."

"Hold on," Izzy put back the kitten gently. "You travelled five miles in twelve years?"

"I think they're a bit slow." He told his wife, none too quietly.

"Where're you two from?"

"Fifty billion light-years away, a few billion years back." She remarked. Suddenly realizing something, she turned to the Doctor. "Oh God. I'm so _old_! I'm nearly 5 billion!"

"Never mind that," the Doctor hissed, putting down his kitten. He didn't have time to explain to the driver about time travel. He spoke aloud. "We've got to get out. My friend's in one of these cars, she was taken hostage. We should get back out to the TARDIS." He slid open the door and coughed.

"You're too late for that, we've passed the layby." Brannigan protested. The Doctor closed the door. "You're passengers now."

"Where's the next layby?"

"Oh, six months?" Brannigan answered.

"Six months! Who knows where Martha could be by then." Izzy stared desperately out the front window and into the smog.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_Bwrrrr… _The Doctor pointed the sonic at the screen on board. "I need to speak to the police," he held the com link.

An automated voice responded, the words typing below the police insignia. "Thank you for your call, you've been placed on hold."

"But you're the police!" The voice only repeated its earlier message.

The Doctor slid off the nursery seat. "Is there anyone else? I once met the Duke of Manhattan, is there any way of getting through to him?

"Manhattan has a Duke?" Izzy mused aloud. "Sure didn't last time I was there."

Brannigan turned to him. "Oh, now ain't you lordly."

"I've got to find my friend!" We've_ got to find _our_ friend, Doctor._

"You can't make outside calls," Valerie inputted, "the motorway's completely enclosed."

"What about these other cars?" The Doctor asked, and Izzy looked to him. His tall frame caused him to duck due to the low roof of the car. She had no such issues, and for once she was glad for her short height. Who would want a kinked neck like that?

"Oh we've got contact with them, yeah; well, some of them anyway. They've got to be on your friends list. Now let's see," He turned to the screen on the dashboard. "Who's nearby?" He tapped the screen and a picture of two elderly women popped up. "Ah, the Caseeni sisters!" He picked up the com. "Still your hearts, my handsome girls, it's Brannigan here." Izzy smiled at his charm.

"Get off the line, Brannigan. You're a pest and a menace." Came the croaky reply. Izzy tried to move closer to the front of the car to see, but the Doctor's figure took up most of the space. She settled for propping her chin on his arm resting on the back of Valerie's seat. He looked at her as if just realizing she was there, but recovered quickly and gave her a small smile.

"Oh come on now, sisters! Is that any way to talk to an old friend?"

The static buzzed a moment again as the woman responded. "You know full well that we're not sisters—we're married."

Brannigan shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, stop that modern talk, I'm an old-fashioned cat." He chuckled. "Now, we've got a couple of hitchhikers here: the Doctor and his lovely lady Izzy." The Doctor took the com, not bothering to correct the cat.

Izzy, however, blushed pink and mumbled, "I'm not lovely or his lady."

The Doctor must have heard her, because as he spoke into the com he looked at her. "Hello, sorry. We're looking for someone called Martha Jones, she's been carjacked. She's inside one of these vehicles, but I dunno which one."

Another female voice came on. "Wait a minute… Could I ask which entrance they used?"

Izzy looked to Brannigan. "Where were we?"

"Pharmacy Town."

"Pharmacy Town," the Doctor repeated to the sisters, "about twenty minutes ago."

The rustling of papers could be heard. "Let's have a look."

"Just my luck to marry a car spotter," the first woman remarked dryly.

"In the last half hour, fifty three new cars joined from the Pharmacy Town junction."

"Anything more specific?" the Doctor pressed.

"All in good time," the second woman chastised. "Was she carjacked by two people?"

"Yes, a man and a woman," Izzy answered quickly.

"There we are! Just one of those cars was destined for the fast lane—that means they had three on board—and car number is four-six-five-diamond-six."

The Doctor gripped the com harder. "That's it! So how do we find her?"

"Ah, now there I'm afraid I can't help."

He dropped his hand. "We can call her on this thing; we've got the number diamond-six."

Brannigan stopped him. "Not if they're designated fast lane; it's a different class."

The sisters came on again. "You could try the police."

"They've put us on hold."

"You'll have to keep trying, there's no one else."

Izzy's face fell. "Thank you." The Doctor handed the com back to Brannigan solemnly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor looked determined again. "We've got to go to the fast lane. Take us down."

Brannigan huffed. "Not in a million years!"

"You've got four passengers! Four is more than enough." He gestured widely before pulling Izzy to him with an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm still not going." The cat was stubborn.

The Doctor dropped the arm around the brunette girl to lean in closer to their driver. "She's alone, and she's lost. She doesn't even belong on this planet and it's all my fault. I'm asking you Brannigan, take us down." _To be fair, Doctor, we didn't exactly put up a fight when you offered another trip. _Izzy kept her thoughts to herself.

"That's a no!" Valerie interrupted sternly. "And that's final. I'm not risking the children down there."

"Why not?" Izzy moved forward to ask. "What happens down there?"

"We're not discussing it! The conversation is closed." Valerie sounded very much like Izzy's mother then, and she felt a twist in her chest. _Oh, what would Mum think of this?_

The Doctor dropped it. "So we keep on driving."

"Yes we do." Brannigan nodded.

"For how long?" Izzy exclaimed.

"Till the journey's end." Brannigan said, unhelpfully.

The Doctor grabbed the radio. "Mrs. Caseeni, this is the Doctor. Tell me, how long have you been driving on the motorway?"

"Oh we were amongst the first," she began, "it's been twenty-three years now."

"And in all that time, have you ever seen a police car?" Everyone shifted their eyes to the Doctor.

"I'm not sure…"

"Look at your notes," he continued. "Any police?"

"Not as such," came the shaky reply.

"Or an ambulance? Rescue service? Anything official—ever?"

"I can't keep a note of everything!" She avoided.

"What if there's no one out there?" The Doctor trailed off. He had confirmed what Izzy had guessed, but it only gave her a sinking feeling of dread.

"Oh, stop it!" Brannigan yanked the com out of the Time Lord's hands. "The Caseenis were doing you a favor."

"Someone's got to ask. Cause you might not talk about it, but it's there, in your eyes. What if the traffic jam never stops?"

The cat shook his head. "There's a whole city above us—the mighty city-state of New New York! They wouldn't just leave us."

"Well, in that case, where are they? Hmm? What if there's no help coming, not ever? What if there's nothing, just the motorway? With the cars going 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round, never stopping—forever." The Doctor seemed to taunt.

"Doctor!" Izzy put a gentle hand on his arm. "You're scaring them. Just… just find a way to Martha." He quieted and studied her face. Her cerulean blue eyes burned into his, offering a challenge. _Her features may be delicate, but those eyes were certainly not. They were_… _old, _he realized, _like she was forced to grow up much too fast._ Their unblinking exchange was interrupted by the entrance of Sally Calypso on the screen.

"This is Sally Calypso, and it's that time again," she was saying. "The sun in blazing high in the sky over the New Atlantic, the perfect setting for the daily continental migration."

"You think you know us so well, Doctor." Brannigan's voice strengthened. "We're not abandoned, not while we have each other."

"This is for all of you out there on the roads: we're so sorry." Sally Calypso's brilliant smile was dimmed some, "Drive safe." The scene buzzed out.

A soft singing began, almost haunting in its tenderness. Izzy's heart went out to the travelers kept away from the sun and the fresh sky for so long, though it seemed now that she would be one of them. She looked to the Doctor, who was surveying the cars out the window. _If there's anyone I'd want to have with me in a tight jam, it's definitely the Doctor._

XXXXXXXXXXX

The song finished, and the Doctor snapped back to his determined self. "If you don't take me, I'll go there on my own." He turned to Izzy, grabbing her shoulders and leaning in to her face. "Izzy, you don't have to come with me. You can stay here and I will get you back in the TARDIS after I've found Martha. I don't know what I'm doing, and I want you to be safe." His eyes searched hers.

She looked slightly offended. "Are you kidding me? You are way more exciting than safe." She leaned forward, too, merely inches away from his face. "I'm coming with you, no matter what." Her voice was sure and her bright eyes blazed. The Doctor smiled a haunted smile and knelt down to a hatch in the floor, sonic out.

"What do you think you're doing?" Their driver turned.

"Finding my own way. I usually do." He pulled the 'capsule' open with a hiss. He looked down to the cars below. When one came directly underneath, her muttered, "Here we go." He stood and pulled off his coat, throwing it to Brannigan.

"Oh, Doctor, not the coat! I was starting to love that coat." Izzy sighed. The Doctor positioned himself in the hole.

"But you can't jump!" Valerie exclaimed worriedly.

"If it's any consolation, Valerie, right now I'm having kittens." He looked to Izzy. "I'm going to jump first. You jump right after, got it? We don't want the car to move before you get down. Don't worry, I'll catch you." He threw her a slightly teasing smile, referencing her near-crippling klutziness.

"This Martha—she must mean an awful lot to you, to the both of you."

The Doctor hesitated. "Hardly know her. I was too busy showing off." Izzy gave a frown of disagreement. "And I lied to her. I lied to both of you." Izzy's frown deepened. "Couldn't help it; just lied." He gave a fleeting glance to the couple. "Bye then!" And he fell through the hole.

Izzy heard a thump, and she looked down. He had landed safely and was looking up to her. "Izzy!" he coughed and the girl lowered herself by the arms. She looked down at him then squeezed her eyes shut, letting go. She let out a small shriek as her feet touched the roof, but she fell no more. Strong, thin arms held her, and she opened her eyes to look up at the Doctor's expectant face. "Told you I'd catch you," he smiled lightly before letting her go to crouch down to the hatch in the roof. He opened it with the help of his screwdriver and motioned for her to go first.

Izzy dropped into a very white, bubble-wrapped interior, just remembering to give the Doctor room before he dropped on top of her. He stood next to her, coughing.

"Who the hell are you?" A very white man looked between the Doctor and Izzy.

"Sorry, motorway foot patrol. We're doing a survey." The Doctor turned away.

"And how are you enjoying the motorway?" Izzy continued for him, her voice pleasant and sweet like the telemarketers back home.

The driver leaned back towards them. "Well, not very much. Junction 5's been closed for three years." The Doctor opened the panel in the floor.

Izzy spoke in her telemarketer's voice, only a little more rushed. "Thank you, your comments have been noted." The Doctor dropped. She positioned herself over the opening, glad to be wearing stretchy jeans. "Have a nice day!" She fell, too, and again the Doctor caught her.

They dropped into a very colorful car with two Asian women with equally colorful hair in the seats ahead. Izzy gave the same spiel and the Doctor finished with, "Have a nice day!" He picked up a purple bandana. "Can I borrow this? Not my color, but… thank you very much!" His voice was muffled as he tied it around his face.

Izzy grabbed a blue one. "And can I? You have a lovely car, by the way. Your input has greatly helped us." After tying the fabric, she jumped after the Doctor.

They entered the car below only to startle its nudist passengers. Izzy clapped her hands over her eyes and turned around, facing away from them. "Don't mind me."

The Doctor opened the hatch and waited for a car to fill in below him. He fell and Izzy followed. She seemed to be getting better at it; she needed his support less and less. They repeated the process several more times, and Izzy saw her mix of humans and aliens. Finally they came to a very clean and undecorated car with a well-dressed businessman at the wheel.

"Excuse me, is that legal?" He inquired of the coughing and out-of-breath couple.

"Sorry, motorway foot patrol." The Doctor wiped his face as he explained. Beside him, Izzy's thin frame was shaking violently from a strong bought of coughs. He reached to her and turned back to the business man, still wheezing. "Whatever. Have you got any water? And an oxygen mask for my friend?"

"Certainly. Never let it be said I've lost my manners." He handed the Doctor water and the oxygen mask hanging from the wall. He passed it on to Izzy, who fumbled it on through her spasms. The Doctor drank it in one gulp and turned to check on Izzy, watching her breathing carefully.

She took one deep breath before removing it. "I'm fine, Doctor, honestly. Just a bit irritated with all the coughing, though." She spoke faintly, and the Doctor threw her a lingering concerned look before turning to the businessman.

"Is this the last layer?"

The driver nodded. "We're right on the bottom. Nothing below us but the fast lane."

"Can we drive down?"

The businessman hesitated. "We have enough people, but… there's a risk I'm not willing to take. I hear things… there's something down there, and it's not friendly."

The Doctor groaned. "If you'll excuse me," he moved to open the floor hatch.

"You're not going to jump! It's a thousand feet down!"

"No, I just want to look." He reassured the driver and his companion, whose face blanched at the suggestion of a thousand feet drop. "What's that noise?"

"I-I try not to think about it," the man gulped.

"What are those lights?" the Time Lord continued. "What's down there?" He waved away the fumes and coughed. "I just need to see!" He flew to the main computer at the front and Izzy flattened herself to the side of the car to stay out of his way. He pointed the sonic at the screen. "There must be some sort of ventilation. If I could just transmit a pulse through this thing then I could trip the system. Give us a bit of a breeze!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor connected a few wires together after a short struggle with the circuitry, his audience watching intently over his shoulder. "That's it!" He moved to the hatch, and Izzy followed. "Tripped the fuse a bit, give us a good look."

"What are those shapes?" His companion asked, her eyebrows knitting together.

"They're alive."

The businessman looked over the short woman's shoulder. "What the hell are they?"

They could see the source of the bestial noises and snapping sounds. Hundreds of giant crabs reached their claws up, snapping towards them through the smog. They looked _very_ much not friendly.

"Macra," the Doctor named them, his voice lowered ominously.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"The Macra used to be the scourge of this galaxy. Gas—they fed off gas, the filthier the better. They built up a small empire using humans as slaves and mining gas for food."

"They don't exactly look like empire builders to me." The businessman remarked.

"Well… that was billions of years ago, billions. They must have devolved down here; now they're just beasts. But they're still hungry. And our friend's down there."

A knock came from above. "Oh it's like New Times Square in here. For goodness sake!" The businessman lifted himself up.

"Look Izzy, we've invented a sport!" The Doctor said cheerfully as a grey robed figure descended from the roof. Her face was revealed to be a cat's, and she looked at the Doctor with relief.

"Doctor, you're a hard man to find." She said.

"No guns, I'm not having guns!" The businessman said, flattening himself to the wall.

"I only brought this in case of pirates!" she turned to the Doctor. "Doctor, you've got to come with me."

The Time Lord looked confused. "Do I know you?"

She sighed with a smile. "You haven't aged at all. Time has been less kind to me." She ducked her head.

Something sparked recognition in the Doctor and he grabbed her shoulder's excitedly. "Novice Hame!" He hugged her, but quickly let go. "No, hold on, get off. Last time we met you were breeding humans for experimentation!" Izzy stood off to the side, thoroughly confused. _It must be an alien thing._

"I've sought forgiveness, Doctor. For so many years, under His guidance, and if you come with me, I might finally be able to redeem myself."

"We're not going anywhere." He grabbed Izzy's hand lightly. "You've got Macra living under this city, Macra—and if our friend's still alive she's stuck down there!"

"You've got to come with me, right now!" The cat commanded.

"No, you're coming with me." He turned to the businessman. "Have you got enough incentive now? Four people, now take us down!"

"I'm sorry Doctor, but the situation is even worse than you can imagine." She grabbed him arm and touch a glowing green bracelet on hers. The Doctor objected loudly and he gripped Izzy's hand tighter. "Teleport."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Mwwmph. 'Octorr, gerroff!" Izzy's voice was muffled by the Doctor's body on top of her. He slowly rose up to his hands and knees, and she could breathe again.

"Ow." He complained. He had his hands and knees propped up of either side of Izzy beneath him.

"'Ow' right back! At least you didn't have a tall, lanky alien crashing on top of you!" She groaned, looking straight up at him and nearly blushing at their position.

"Sorry, rough teleport." He sprung up suddenly, angrily, but held a hand out to help Izzy up. He addressed Novice Hame. "But you can go straight down and teleport people out, starting with Martha!"

"I only had the power for one trip. I did not mean to take your companion; we barely made it because of her."

Izzy frowned at her, but the Doctor continued on. "Then get some more! Where are we?"

"High above, in the over city."

"Good. 'Cause you can tell the Senate of New New York that I'd like a word. They've got thousands of people trapped on the motorway! Millions!"

"But you're inside the Senate! Right now." She touched a hand to her bracelet, which lit up. "By the goddess Santori bless." There was suddenly light in the room, and Izzy looked above her. Rows of bleached skeletons reclined on stone benches towered high above the company.

"They died, Doctor. The city died." Novice Hame spoke with sadness.

"How long's it been like this?" Izzy asked, moving about slowly in the ruble. She froze at the sight of a worn and browned skeleton in the middle of the floor.

"Twenty-four years." The Doctor walked closer to the skeleton and crouched down.

"All of them, everyone. What happened?"

"A new chemical," Novice Hame started, and the Doctor's frown deepened. "A new mood. They called it 'Bliss.' Everyone tried it." She picked up a patch off the dead skeleton. Izzy stiffly moved forward to stand next to the Doctor. "They couldn't stop. A virus mutated inside the compound and became airborne. Everything perished; even the virus, in the end." Izzy looked to the Doctor staring of into the distance, and she guiltily had to admit that he looked even more handsome when sad. "It killed the world in seven minutes flat. It was just enough time to close down the walkways and the flyovers, sealing off the under city. Those people on the motorway aren't lost, Doctor. They were saved."

"So the whole thing down there is running on automatic."

"There's not enough power to get them out. We did all we could to stop the system from choking."

"Who's we?" Izzy wondered. "How did you live?"

The cat's eyes turned to her. "He protected me," she looked to the Doctor, "and he has waited for you these long years.

_Doctor…_ Izzy heard a rough voice in her head speak and she jumped. The Doctor seemed to hear it too, and he walked around the corner, calling out a name. "The Face of Boe!" Izzy followed quickly after, and was met with the sight of a large, aged, tentacle-y face inside a foggy glass tank.

_I knew you would come. _The Doctor kneeled in front of the large tank and Izzy stood respectfully back with Novice Hame.

"Back in the old days," the cat spoke, "I was made his nurse as penance for my sin."

The Doctor's voice was low. "Old friend, what happened to you?"

_I'm failing… _Izzy could still hear the tired voice in her head.

"He protected me from the virus by shrouding me in his smoke. But with no one to maintain it, the city's power died. The under city would have fallen into the sea."

"So he saved them." The Doctor's tone was revering as he turned back to the Face of Boe.

"The Face of Boe wired himself into the mainframe. He's giving his life force just to keep things running."

Izzy chose to jump in. "But there must be someone out there you could contact—other planets to help?"

Novice Hame shook her head. "The last act of the Senate was to declare New Earth unsafe. The automatic quarantine lasts for one hundred years."

"So the two of you stayed here," he rose, "on your own for all these years."

"We had no choice."

The Doctor put a kind hand on her arm. "Yes, you did."

_Save them, Doctor. Save them._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor pointed to a holographic image, brainy specs on. "Car four-six-five-diamond-six—it still registers! That's Martha; I knew she was good. Izzy!" He pulled away from the switch he was holding when Izzy neared him. "Hold that in place." He followed a bundle of cords, muttering to himself. "…take residual energy and convert it, feed it through the electricity."

"But there isn't enough power!" Novice Hame called from her position by the Face.

"Oh, you got power! You got me!" He continued to flip switches on the large tech-y looking panel across the room. "I'm brilliant with computers, just you watch." He turned around quickly and pointed to his companion. "Izzy, every switch on that bank up to maximum!" Izzy complied hurriedly, even though she barely had any idea what she was doing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor worked on the floor now, tuning and tweaking an electronic box in the ground. "I can power up the city, but what the city needs is people." He banged on the box with his fist.

"So what're you going to do, Doctor?" Izzy called from her position at the lever.

He stood up and grabbed a large gold-yellow switch. "This!" He threw it down and everything began to shut down. Obviously that wasn't the intended result. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" He dropped back down the box, screwdriver ready. "The transporters are blocked; the signal can't get through."

_Doctor…_ The Face of Boe called, startling Izzy again.

"Yeah hold on, not now." The Doctor was still furiously working with the sonic and the box.

The Face continued weakly. _I give you my last… _he made pained sounds and the building powered up again.

The Doctor looked up from his work. "Hame, look after him!" He leapt up. "Don't you go dying on me, ya big ol' Face!" Izzy ran up to him as he stood at the big switch again. "You gotta see this!" He threw the switch down. "The open road! Ha!" He yelled, looking very much like a madman.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Izzy stood slightly behind the Doctor as he talked into the microphone. "Sorry, no Sally Calypso, she was a hologram. My name's the Doctor." He paused. "And this is an order. Everyone drive up—right now. I've opened the roof of the motorway. Come on, throttle those engines; drive up. All of you, the whole under city, drive up." He got more excited. "Drive up! Drive up! You've gotta clear that fast lane. Drive up, and get outta the way. Oi! Car four-six-five-diamond six!"

Izzy entered the screen. "Martha! Drive up, drive up! You've got access above, now go!"

"Did I tell you Doctor? You're not bad, sir, not bad at all! You and Izzy both!" Brannigan's laugh came through the line, and Izzy beamed. The Doctor spoke to Brannigan individually.

He smiled to Izzy. "She was a bit brilliant, wasn't she?" Izzy blushed slightly and looked out the window to the cars flying. "You keep driving, Brannigan, all the way up. 'Cause it's here, just waiting for you! The city of New New York is yours. And don't forget, I want that coat back." He joined her at the window.

"Ha ha, I reckon that's a fair bargain, sir!" replied the cat.

"And car four-six-five-diamond-six," he continued, "I've sent you a flight path, come to the Senate."

"On my way!" came Martha's happy voice.

"Been quite a while since I saw you, Martha Jones."

Izzy heard the sound of cracking and turned. "Doctor!" Novice Hame cried. The Doctor turned and was still, like he knew he could do nothing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Izzy heard light footsteps, but made no effort to call to her friend. She sat at the Doctor's side, her eyes glassy and sad as she gazed at the dying Face of Boe.

"Doctor?" came the breathy question. Martha seemed nearly panicked, but Izzy couldn't be sure why.

"Over here," the Doctor called solemnly.

"Doctor! What happened out there?" Martha's voice turned excited. Maybe earlier that day Izzy might've been hurt that Martha did not include her, but she ignored it now. There were more important things now; she wasn't. Martha stopped, shocked. "What's that?"

The Doctor turned to her, his voice light. "It's the Face of Boe. It's all right, come say hello. And this is Hame. She's a cat, don't worry." His dark eyes shifted to the Face. "He's the one that saved you, not me."

"My Lord gave his life to save the city," Hame dropped her head, "and now he's dying."

"No, don't say that; not old Boe. Look at him—plenty of life left."

_It's good to breathe the air once more. _The Face sighed.

"Who is he?" Martha inquired. Izzy looked up. _I hadn't even thought to ask,_ she realized.

The Doctor took a breath. "I don't even know. Legend says the Face of Boe's lived billions of years. Isn't that right?" His voice grew stronger. "And you're not about to give up now."

_Everything has it's time. You know that, old friend, better than most._ His eyes moved to the Doctor, but settled on Izzy with what could be seen as a knowing look. If she saw it, it didn't show. Her face was downcast and her eyes were sad.

"The legend says more," Hame started.

"Don't, there's no need for that." The Doctor cautioned.

"It says that the Face of Boe will speak his final secret to a traveler," she continued, ignoring him.

"Yeah, but not yet." The Doctor pressed. "Who needs secrets, eh?"

_I have seen so much—perhaps too much. I am the last of my kind, as you are the last of yours, Doctor. _Martha looked confused. Izzy didn't know how she could tell, but she just knew that his next words were spoken to her alone. _And as you, Isolde, are the first of yours._ She rocked back slightly, earning an inquisitive look from the Doctor.

He turned back to the Face of Boe, his words intense. "That's why we have to survive; both of us. Don't go." His plead was so soft and earnest that it nearly broke Izzy's heart. She took his hand lightly in hers. He didn't seem to notice as the Face continued.

_I must. But know this, Doctor: you are not alone._ He sighed and his eyes slowly closed.

The Doctor looked shocked, whether from the words or his grief, Izzy could not tell. She squeezed his hand comfortingly as Novice Hame began to cry. Martha rose and stepped back. Izzy stood as well, still holding the Doctor's hand and guiding him up with her. He let go of her hand and pulled her into a hug. She wrapped her arms around him, still watching the Face of Boe. Martha joined them and Izzy loosened so the Doctor could put an arm around the other girl's shoulders. Novice Hame continued to weep softly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The three entered the alley where Martha was first kidnapped. It looked thrashed and very, very deserted. "All closed down." The Doctor leaned his head in a window.

"Happy?" Izzy asked, continuing to walk with Martha.

"Happy happy." Martha gave a short laugh and Izzy grinned quietly, putting her head down. "New New York can start again. And they've got Novice Hame. Just what every city needs: cats in charge. Come on, time we were home." He walked farther, and Izzy started to follow.

"But what did he mean, the Face of Boe? 'You're not alone.'" Martha stayed back.

"I dunno." He shrugged.

Martha stepped forward, a self-satisfied look on her face. "You've got me. Is that what he meant?" Anger flared in Izzy as she was again excluded. _Yes Martha, you—one of _two_ girls he met merely three days ago—are his forever soul mate who will keep him from ever being alone again. That's _definitely _what the alien meant._

"I don't think so. Sorry," he said kindly, and Izzy couldn't help but feel a small amount of satisfaction when Martha's face went stony. She didn't want the Doctor for herself—he was off-limits. _Really off-limits. Like, another species off-limits. No matter how amazing he is, friendship is better than pining after an unavailable man. Alien,_ she corrected.Still, despite her reasoning, she didn't like the way Martha seemed to expect him to like her. She liked Martha great, but the girl should know she was barking up the wrong tree.

"Then what?" Martha had visibly deflated.

"Doesn't matter. Back to the TARDIS, off we go." He turned, but Izzy stayed to watch Martha set up a fallen chair and sit in it stubbornly. He looked back at her. "Alright, you staying?"

"Till you talk to us properly, yes. Izzy, sit. We deserve an explanation." Izzy grabbed a chair cautiously and set it up next to her. She turned to the Doctor, her eyes guarded as she sank down. "He said 'last of your kind.' What does that mean?"

"It really doesn't matter."

"You don't talk, you never say! Why not?" Izzy nodded, beginning to agree with Martha's sit-down idea.

Soft, harmonious singing drifted through the air. Martha straightened. "It's the city. They're singing." Izzy sat still, her face struggling to keep the deep melancholy inspired by the singing clear from her features. It held the tenderness of a mother singing to her child. The Doctor seemed to be struggling with something, too.

"I lied to you, the both of you, 'cause I liked it. I could pretend, just for a bit, I could imagine they were still alive underneath the burnt orange sky." Martha's face grew more and more confused. "I'm not just a Time Lord: I'm the last of the Time Lords. The Face of Boe was wrong. There's no one else."

Izzy ignored her own remembered loss and focused on his. "What happened?"

The Doctor took a third chair lying on its side and set it in front of them. He sat down and started. "There was a war." Martha nodded. "A Time War. The last great Time War. My people fought a race called the Daleks for the sake of all creation, and they lost. They lost. Everyone lost." Izzy's heart broke with the pain he must have felt. She leaned towards him subconsciously. "They're all gone now, my family, my friends, even that sky." He smiled, looking off at something that wasn't there and seeming to be fighting back tears. "Ah, you should have seen it, that old planet. The second sun would rise in the south, the mountains would shine. The leaves on the trees were silver. When they caught the light every morning, they lit the forest on fire…"

Izzy listened to the Doctor with bright, empathetic eyes and let the city's song fill her ears.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: **No, I do not hate Martha, if that's what you got from this. Sure, I think of her as the lowest of his companions in the new Doctor Who, but that doesn't mean she's bad. She's just… not good. She always seems to expect attention from the Doctor like he's a normal guy; which, frankly, he's not. So, I think she's a little bit pitiful as a character. I mean, she loves him practically right away, and realistically, if there were another girl with them, she would completely ignore the girl like she does Izzy and focus all the Doctor's attention on her. She doesn't seem one to eagerly share her Doctor.

Anyways. This was thankfully about 1,000 words shorter than the previous chapters because I could avoid Martha's point of view. Still. Very hard. I think next chapter is _not_ going follow an episode. I've been forming a scene in my head between the Doctor and Izzy that will help fill in the blanks of Izzy's life. Also the little 'you are the first of yours' thing is another part of her character that will be revealed later on, if at all. I'll take it out if it doesn't fit with my desired storyline.

Thanks again for the reviews and alerts and faves. You make me feel appreciated, and I hope to keep your wait short for the next update :)


	4. The Time In Between

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Doctor Who. I don't even own any Doctor Who merchandise, Whoovian in me for shame. I do own Izzy, however, so no stealing. Pssh, who am I kidding? Who would want her?

**EDIT: **First of all, you know when you go back over your work and suddenly everything looks all wrong? Well, I have no idea if that ever happens to you, but that definitely hit me, big time. I realize that many of you have issue with this chapter and its unrealistic Mary-Sueishness, and so do I. And so this chapter and Izzy's backstory is rewritten, and I hope it will be more realistic. I'm keeping the good parts.

Secondly, I am so sorry for the delay. I myself know that no one likes a flake, and that's what I've been. The first few weeks I was gone was because my dad grounded me from the internet. And recently I've been busy with studying for my 6 AP tests, my birthday, visiting family, college trips, taking my AP tests, studying for ACT and SAT, taking both ACT and SAT, fostering kittens(not as easy-breezy as it seems—they poop. Everywhere.), coping with the extra homework load my teachers dumped on me, and then, well, whenever I have time to fit it in, sleeping. But summer's coming for me, and I looked on my email and finally saw the lovely reviews and decided I needed to stop slouching and get back into it. I will not abandon this story! Also, I apologize for any and all typos, I'm going on 4 hours of sleep and in my rush to submit this, I'm just gonna let Word do its thing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

In a mostly understood, halfway comprehensible, very rapid half-rant in typical Doctor-style, Izzy and Martha had picked up on one main idea: they would be staying. Well, he said, it was more of a detour due to the poor quality of their previous trips. The newest companions did not ask him the actual extent of their stay, for they did not want to know. A detour with this alien could mean weeks, months, years, or even forever. And forever seemed a sure possibility when imagination was left to run free, and their imaginations were running wild.

In light of their near-sleepless adventures, it was brought to their attention that beyond just having a bigger-on-the-inside control room, the TARDIS also contained countless rooms and hallways that could change around whenever the ship wished it. There was even a library and a swimming pool, though the Doctor did not make it clear whether they occupied the same room or not. Still, he instructed, it was useless trying to map out the ship in your head, since the room you thought was the bathroom could get up and move off to a different part of the maze to be replaced by a room full of spiders of the nasty sort. He had scolded the ship for doing that before though, so he assured his passengers it was very unlikely such a thing would happen. After detailing this to them in a rapidly spoken ramble that involved a great many other technical things and extraterrestrial references that zoomed right over their heads and crashed rather nastily into the opposite wall, he accordingly showed them to their rooms, which—he claimed—the TARDIS had adjusted to meet their individual preferences.

Martha enjoyed her room immensely, most likely due to the fact that it looked just like her flat and had plenty of choices for make-up. She closed herself off readily, longing for the solitude and general novelty of her new quarters.

Izzy herself was left awe of her temporary home, suspended in the doorway long past when the Doctor had gone back to his fixing in the control room after pointing her in the right direction. It was much less girly than Martha's, the walls a TARDIS blue with brilliant white trim. In place of a lamp the room was lit with beautifully bright fairy lights, allowing the room a magical splendor. The blue theme carried throughout the entire room, save the various wooden instruments that crowded all available space—a white baby grand piano, an acoustic guitar, a violin, a cello, and, although Izzy had no idea how the TARDIS could now she had been taking lessons for it, a beautiful Celtic harp.

Moving in a dream state, with an ear-splitting grin, she fingered the surface of each instrument before spinning in excitement. Her movement landed her facing the open doorway, revealing a curious looking door across the hallway. Feeling bold in her happiness, she walked out of her quarters and to the waiting doorknob, her skin flushed with the possibilities of what lay beyond.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor lay in his familiar place under the console, his long legs and trainers sticking out. He fiddled and fixes circuits and wires that didn't necessarily need repairing, while is mind could dwell on other things. Like the Face of Boe's dying words. What did he mean? He was the last, he knew that. So why was he not alone?

His mind buzzing with questions, as it always was, he forced himself to focus on the present. His fiddling was getting him nowhere, and there was nothing left to distract him. Filled with a sudden curiosity for the goings-on of his passengers, he extracted himself and ventured down the long hallways of the TARDIS, leisurely stroking the walls as he passed.

His hand caught the doorframe of an open room and he peered in. A dark-haired figure stood at the end of the long room. _Ah, the dressing room_. Rows of various clothing items lined all available wall space, and it looked as though Izzy had found a few she liked. She faced the mirror at the end of the hall, her eyes glued to her reflection. She missed the Doctor's approach, not noticing him until he made a low whistle at her appearance. She started, the fabric of the dress swishing with the movement.

"Now, _that_ is a dress," the Doctor mused with a small grin, "worn by Audrey Hepburn, I believe." The black material formed a sweetheart bust with a thick halter reaching around her neck. A few inches of the floor-length gown pooled at her feet, which she shuffled to fully face him.

Izzy opened her mouth but closed it again with a sigh. "I'm not even going to ask." She turned back to the mirror again, staring hard at her reflection as if it would provide her answers. "Sometimes, when I stare hard enough, I can see her in the mirror."

"Who, Audrey Hepburn?" The Doctor's expression was one of puzzlement.

"No, stupid, not Audrey Hepburn," she rolled her eyes at him in the mirror. Her features glazed over again, "My mum." Sitting down on a shoe bench to the right of her, she looked up at the man with a wistful expression. "She was a musician, you know," she stated, as if he should know that. "Could play anything she picked up. Beautiful, too. Elizabeth Taylor couldn't hold a candle to that woman," she smiled a little with bright eyes. "Da was a scientist at some big military company—he could never tell me which." The Doctor's mouth twitched up at the loving tone in her voice. "It's so funny—they were total opposites: the passionate artist and the clinical scientist. But they loved each other just the same, maybe even more for it, like they were two pieces of one person."

The Doctor's question was light, polite, but it grounded her all the same, "Where are they now?"

Izzy looked down at her hidden feet for a moment before looking up at him again and shrugging. "I don't see them anymore." Her face was too composed, too controlled.

She stood suddenly and made flapping motions with her hands with a joking frown. "Now, shoo! I can't very well get out of this with you in here. Besides, I'm sure Martha's getting lonely."

The Doctor left with a chuckle, hands in pockets, puzzling a bit over Izzy's sudden disclosure. He shook his head and closed the door behind him.

It was time for a new adventure.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N:** So yeah, it has changed a bit. Hopefully for the better, but now her backstory fits with my original plans for her. I'll probably ask this again at the end of third season, but is anyone interested in seeing Izzy carry on through Donna, and maybe even fifth season? I've been watching the sixth, and I have no idea how she could fit there. But isn't that the beauty of fanfiction? You get to change the rules.

**Kærlighed, Ellie**


	5. Daleks in Manhattan

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing of Doctor Who, I'm just borrowing its characters for a while with full intent of returning them.

**A/N: I am a horribly horrible person. Also, sorry for the longest wait. I'm probably going to switch permanently to shorter entries so I can get them out faster. Not short-short, just not +10k chapters. Enjoy.**

XXXXXXXXX

"Where are we?" Martha asked with a breathy smile. Izzy stepped out behind her and took a deep breath of fresh air.

The Doctor poked his head out before exiting fully with an excited grin. "Ah! Smell that Atlantic breeze!" Izzy's own smile widened at his cheer, "Nice and cold, lovely."

Izzy was looking past them and out to the opposite shore with an amazed smile on her face. The Doctor turned to Martha instead. "Martha, have you met my friend?" His gaze turned up with Martha's.

"Is that…? Oh my God, that's the Statue of Liberty!"

"Gateway to the new world. Give me your tired and your poor and huddled masses yearning to breathe free."

"That is so brilliant. I've always wanted to go to New York."

Izzy moved to stand with them. "Martha, we just came from New York."

Martha discarded the comment with a flip of the hand. "I mean the real New York, not the New New New New New one."

The Doctor turned to the city and his companions followed. "Well, there's the genuine article. So good they named it twice." Boats sailed and chugged through the sea, definitely not modern from what little Izzy knew about ships. "Mind you, it was New Amsterdam originally. Harder to say twice, no wonder it didn't catch on. New Amsterdam, New Amsterdam." He shook his head.

"Well, this isn't my New York, 'cause look" Izzy interrupted his ramblings, "the Empire State Building isn't even finished."

"Work in progress. Still got a couple of floors to go," Martha stepped away from them and picked up a newspaper of the nearby bench, "and if I know my history that makes the date somewhere around…"

Martha held the paper up for Izzy, who read it off. "November 1st, 1930."

The Doctor looked down at his companions, surprised. "You're that good?"

"Nearly eighty years ago," Martha mused as the Doctor took the paper out of her hands. "That's funny 'cause you see those old newsreels all in black and white, like it's so far away, but here we are." The look of wonder on her face spread to Izzy's, whose had dimmed a little upon seeing the Doctor's serious one. "It's real, it's now!"

Martha finally looked at him. "Come on then, you. Where shall we go first?"

"I think our detour just got longer." The Doctor turned the headline towards them and Martha read it off.

"'Hooverville Mystery Deepens.'" The title registered to Izzy, but obviously Martha was less brushed up on her American history. "What's Hooverville?"

XXXXXXXXX

"Herbert Hoover," the Doctor started as they walked down a path in Central Park, "31st President of the USA, came to power a year ago. Up till then New York was a boom town."

"The Roaring Twenties, before the Wall Street Crash," Izzy supplied.

"Yeah, when was that? 1929?" Martha recalled.

"Yep, whole economy wiped out overnight," the Doctor continued. "Thousands of people unemployed; all the sudden the huddled masses doubled in number with nowhere to go. So," a bicycle-r ringed as he passed them, "they ended up here, in Central Park."

"What, they actually live in the Park?" Martha's tone suggested he must be exaggerating, but Izzy knew he was not. "In the middle of the city?"

He only raised his eyebrows. The three looked ahead as the sounds of people grew louder.

Shivering and hunched bodies came out the entrance as they went in, Izzy's eyes lingering on the painted sign 'HOOVERVILLE' above them. Smoke from various small fire pits rose above the dirtied tents that served as houses, and the resonance of coughs and sniffles surrounded the travelers.

"Ordinary people. Lost their jobs." Martha huddled her arms closer to her body to keep out the cold and the despair that crept through the camp as the Doctor continued, "Couldn't pay the rent anymore. Everything."

Izzy's eyes grew sadder with each wary face they saw and moved closer to the Doctor, as if his presence could quell the swell of pity and frustration she felt at the sight of their meager living provisions. "There are places like this all over America. No one's helping them." the Doctor commented grimly, "You only come to Hooverville when you have nowhere else to go."

They approached what looked like the scene of a dispute, where a weathered black man with a hat was acting as the mediator, "…be careful before you lie to me." The Doctor watched with an unreadable expression while Martha looked on in shock. Izzy maintained a wary eye on the situation.

"I'm starving, Solomon," admitted the accused. Solomon merely held out a hand to grab the now-revealed loaf of bread.

"We all starvin'" He broke the bread in half. "We all got families somewhere," he handed one half to each man. "No stealing and no fighting. You know the rules." He turned to the crowd. "Thirteen years ago I fought in the Great War. Lot of us did, and the only reason we got through is because we stuck together." The thief looked down in shame. "No matter how bad things get, we still act like human beings. It's all we got."

As they realized he was finished, the crowd began to disperse. The Doctor put a gentle hand on Izzy's back and nudged Martha, "Come on."

He approached Solomon, Izzy beside him. Martha trailed a little, hesitant. "I suppose that makes you the boss around here," he ventured.

Solomon took him and his companions in with a sweeping, guarded look. "And who might you be?"

Martha joined the line. "He's the Doctor, that's Izzy," she said, gesturing to the smaller woman on the other side of the Doctor before motioning to herself, "and I'm Martha."

"A doctor," Solomon engaged, "Well, we got," he nodded to several men around the clearing in turn, "stockbrokers, we got a lawyer, but you are the first doctor." He put his hands over the small fire. "Neighborhood gets classier by the day."

"How many people live here?" Martha asked, arms still wrapped around herself.

"Any one time… hundreds," the man shrugged. "No place else to go. But I will say this about Hooverville: we are a truly equal society. Black, white, all the same, all starving," he chucked dryly. "So you're welcome, all of you." Solomon turned to the sky, "But tell me, Doctor, you're a man of learning. Explain this to me." He pointed at the soon-to-be Empire State building, "That there is going to be the tallest building in the world. How come they can do that, when we got people starving in the heart of Manhattan?"

The man walked away bitterly, and with good reason. Izzy had read about the Great Depression in history books, but to see the suffering was something else entirely. "Doctor, the article."

The Doctor looked at her with raised eyebrows, "I was getting to that." He followed the weary man again, pulling the paper out of his coat as Solomon threw his cold coffee on the fire. "So, men going missing. Is this true?"

Solomon grabbed the displayed newspaper, "It's true all right." He nodded for them to enter the tent.

"But what does missing mean? People must come and go here all the time, it's not like anyone's keeping register."

The man just sighed. "Come on in." The Doctor sat on the cot next to him and Martha on a barrel opposite. Finding nowhere to sit, Izzy stood next to the Doctor. "This is different."

"In what way?" she asked.

"Someone takes 'em. At night, we hear someone. Someone calls out for help, but by the time we get there, they're gone. Like they vanish into thin air."

The Doctor rested his chin on his open palm. "And you're sure someone's taking them?"

Solomon gave a wry smile. "Doctor when you got next to nothing, you hold on to the little you got. Knife, blanket, you take it with you. You don't leave bread uneaten, fire still burning."

"Have you been to the police?" Martha inquired.

"Yeah, we tried that," another wry smile, "another deadbeat goes missing, big deal."

The Doctor reached up a hand and tugged at his earlobe, something Izzy was quickly realizing was habit of his when he was thinking aloud. "So the question is, who is taking them, and what for."

"Solomon!" a voice called, followed by a young man's head. "Solomon, Mr. Diagoras is here." He exited and Solomon followed.

Curiosity piqued, Izzy exited the tent, followed by the Doctor and Martha. She moved through the small crowd behind Solomon. A confident, well-dressed man flanked by his goons stood above them. "I need men, volunteers. I got a little work for you! And you sure look like you could use the money."

The boy who had called for Solomon spoke up. "Yeah, what is the money?"

"A dollar a day." Izzy scowled at the man for such an insultingly low wage.

"What's the work?" Solomon's deep voice rose over the laughter and murmuring.

"A little trip down the sewers," the man was still confident, his New York accent prominent. "A tunnel collapsed that needs clearing and fixing. Any takers?"

A few voiced their refusals, and Solomon spoke up again. "A dollar a day is slave wage. Men don't always come back up, do they?"

"Accidents happen," Mr. Diagoras remained unfazed.

"What you mean? What sort of accidents?" The Doctor pressed.

Mr. Diagoras leaned forward with a smile, "You don't need the work, that's fine. Anybody else?" The Doctor raised his hand, his height already setting him above most in the crowd. "Enough with the questions!"

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no," the Doctor corrected rapidly, "I'm volunteering. I'll go."

Martha and Izzy raised their hands simultaneously, albeit grudgingly. "I'll kill you for this," Martha said.

Izzy seconded her sentiments. "The TARDIS better have good showers. I am not going home smelling like sewage," she glowered at the Doctor's smile.

"Anybody else?" The young man from earlier raised his hand as well, as did Solomon. Obviously the Doctor was volunteering to investigate, but Izzy was puzzled as to their motivation.

XXXXXXXX

"Turn left, go 'bout a half a mile. Follow Tunnel 273. The fall's right ahead of you—can't miss it." The businessman seemingly had no care for their safety or their success.

"And when to we get our dollar?" questioned the young man, whose name, Izzy finally learned, was Frank.

"When you come back up."

The Doctor locked eyes with their employer. "And if we don't come back up?"

"Then I got no one to pay."

Solomon shone his torch in Mr. Diagoras's face. "Don't worry. We'll be back."

Izzy peered warily around the tunnel with her own light before standing closer to the Doctor to glare at their "boss." Martha quietly voiced the doubts that Izzy had not wanted to acknowledge. "Let's hope so."

The crew began down the tunnel, the Doctor's gaze still level with the businessman. Izzy stayed back, waiting for him. After a long moment, he turned, walking alongside Izzy with his hands in his pockets.

The two caught up, Frank's voice echoing around them as he spoke with Martha. "So what about you Frank?" Martha returned, "You're not from around these parts are you?"

He laughed. "Oh, you could talk." She glanced at him and he continued more seriously. "No, no I'm Tennessee born and bred."

"So how come you're here?"

"Aw, my daddy died, my momma couldn't afford to feed us all so… I'm the oldest, it's up to me to feed myself. So I put on my coat and hitched up here on the railroads. There's a whole lot more runaways in the camp—younger than me—from all over. Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas," he pointed a proud thumb at Solomon ahead. "Solomon keeps a look out for us."

He leaned closer to Martha, obviously interested in her. "So what about you? You're a long way from home." Izzy had nearly forgotten that Martha was English; she had become so used to the accent that it seemed just as natural as her own Irish American one.

"Yeah, I'm just a hitcher, too." She locked eyes with Izzy, who had looked back from her place between Solomon and the Doctor.

"You stick with me, you'll be all right." Izzy smiled slightly at his confidence. It was cute how he had attached himself to Martha.

The Doctor took the lull in conversation as a signal to change topics. "This Diagoras bloke, who is he?"

"Couple of months ago, he was just another farmer," Solomon answered, looking at the dripping ceiling as they turned a corner. "Now, it seems like he owns half of Manhattan."

"How does he manage that then?"

"These are strange times. A man can go from being king of the hill," they ducked under a low pipe, "to the lowest of the low overnight. Guess for some folks it works the other way around."

A florescent green glob glowed on the ground in front of them. "Doctor!" Izzy warned, putting her arms out to stop him and Solomon.

"Woah!" The Doctor exclaimed, looking two parts curious and one part disgusted.

Martha pushed through the front line Izzy had made and peered closer with her torch. "Is it radioactive or something?"

The Doctor took her position, setting down his light to examine it. Izzy leaned over his hunched figure as he took out his glasses.

Martha gagged with her hand over her mouth. "It's God awful, whatever it is." The Doctor lifted it slowly to his face, and the green glow disappeared. He sniffed the gooey blob and Izzy's face twisted in disgust. "And you've got to pick it up."

Ignoring her, he stroked it with his thumbs. "Shine the torch through it. Composite organic matter." He looked to the gagging woman. "Martha? Medical opinion?"

Izzy lowered herself to the Doctor's other side. "I don't think her training's going to answer this one. It's obviously not human."

"No, it's not," he agreed. He rose with Izzy, picking up his light, "And I'll tell you something else: we must be at least half a mile in, and I don't see any signs of a collapse. Do you?" They searched with their own lights, seeing nothing but dank grey bricks. "So why did Diagoras send us down here?"

"Well where are we now? What's up above?" Martha pointed, now standing with the rest of the crew.

"Well," the Doctor started, looking up, "we're right underneath Manhattan."

XXXXXXXXX

"I'm not one for measurement, but I'd say we're way beyond half a mile now," Izzy quipped as they walked further into the sewage tunnels.

"There's no collapse, nothing," Solomon added, searching with his flashlight.

"That Diagoras bloke, was he lying?" Martha joined in.

"Looks like it," the Doctor answered, sounding distracted.

"So why did he want people to come down here?" Frank mused.

"Solomon, I think it's time for you to take these three back. I'll be much quicker on my own," the Doctor said grimly. Izzy was about to protest when an echoing squeal interrupted her, causing the company to hunt wildly for the source.

"What the hell was that?"

It died, and Frank called loudly, "Hello?" Izzy and Martha quickly shushed him, and he continued to them in a harsh whisper, "What if it's folk gone missing? You'd be scared half-mad down here on your own."

"You think they're still alive?" The Doctor's gaze was intent on Frank now.

"Heck, we ain't seen no bodies down here, maybe they just got lost." The squeal sounded again, echoing around the damp stone walls.

Solomon's voice was low, nearly nervous. "I know I've never heard nobody make a sound like that."

"Where's it coming from?" Izzy questioned as she pointed her flashlight after the Doctor, who had crept farther down the corridor ahead of them.

"Sound like there's more than one of 'em," Frank whispered.

"This way," the Doctor answered Izzy, never moving his eyes from the darkness ahead.

"That way," Solomon corrected, pointing to their right.

"Doctor," Martha whispered, horrified. Both he and Izzy, who had begun to follow him, turned to see her light illuminating a huddled figure at the end of the short tunnel behind them.

"Who are you?" Solomon pressed as the Doctor and Izzy neared him again.

The figure made the slightest grunt. By the shape of its head in the light, Izzy could tell it definitely wasn't human. Frank, however, seemed determined to help. "Are you lost? Can you understand me? I've been thinking about folk lost down here—"

"It's alright Frank," the Doctor interrupted with a cautionary hand. "Just, stay back. Let me have a look." He moved slowly closer to the figure, "He's got a point though, right Frank? I'd hate to be stuck down here on my own. But we know the way out." He was only feet away from the grunting, squealing non-human. "Daylight—if you come with us." His flashlight moved to reveal the figure's face and its prominent pig snout, from what Izzy could tell at a distance. "Oh, but what are you?" he continued gently.

"Is that, like," Solomon question in disbelief, "some kind of carnival mask?"

"No, it's real," the Doctor assured him before turning back to the pig-man. "I'm sorry. But listen to me, I promise I can help." He put a hand on the creature's, just as shadows began to move on the wall.

"Doctor…" Martha and Izzy chorused.

For a moment he continued to speak, "Who did this to you?" The Doctor looked up at the sound of footsteps.

"I think it's best if you come back here," Izzy prompted after more pig-men joined them at the end of the corridor. "Doctor!"

He stood and backed up, slowly at first. "Actually, good point."

"Their following you," Martha commented tensely.

"Yeah, I noticed that, thanks." The group continued to back away with him, until they passed through the archway of another tunnel. "Well then, Martha, Izzy, Frank, Solomon…"

"What?" Martha squeaked.

"Um, basically, run!" he shouted and they all took off away from the pursuing pigs, Martha at the lead.

The damp floors made it almost impossible to run at any great speed, and Martha's sudden stop made Izzy's feet almost slip out from under her. She recovered as Martha screamed, "Where are we going?"

"This way!" The Doctor moved past them to the right. Solomon dropped his shovel as they ran even faster. The pigs had begun to catch up when the Doctor veered again. "It's a manhole, come on!"

He ran up the ladder first, sonic-ing the metal plate open. Martha ran behind, Izzy following. "Frank!" Izzy heard Solomon call before he too climbed up. There was a lag and the furious squealing grew louder. Frank finally started up, with the Doctor and Solomon reaching into the hole to help him up. Izzy could not see what was going on, but by the Doctor's frantic calls, they seemed to be struggling to pull the Southern boy up.

"No!" At the Doctor's drawn out cry, Izzy put her hands over her mouth in shock. The Doctor's form was thrown out of the manhole by Solomon, who rose himself and moved the lid to block the pigs from coming out and the Doctor from going in.

"We can't go after him!"

The Doctor moved to open it again, shouting. "We've got to go back down, we can't just leave him!"

"No!" Solomon grabbed him by the shoulders as Martha covered her ears in panic and shock. "I'm not losing anybody else! Those creatures were from Hell, from Hell itself! If we go after him, they'll take us all." The Doctor looked between Izzy, who was hugging herself tightly with wide eyes, and Martha. Solomon lowered his eyes. "There's nothing we can do. I'm sorry."

A voice, followed by the figure of a blonde woman startled them out of their grief. "Alright then, put 'em up." Beside Izzy, Martha flung up her hands in surrender. Izzy unfolded her arms and raised them slowly, watching the Doctor's reaction. The blonde clicked the safety off. "Hands in the air, and no funny business." Warily, the Doctor and Solomon too raised their hands. "Now tell me, you shmucks, what've you done with Lazlo?"

Izzy had never heard the name before, and neither had Martha. "Who's Lazlo?"

XXXXXX

"Lazlo's my boyfriend." The gun was still pointed at the four while the blonde sat at her vanity table. "Or at least he was, until he disappeared two weeks ago—no letter, no goodbye, no nothing." She began to wave the gun around to speak as she turned to face them. "I'm not stupid; I know some guys are just pigs, but not my Lazlo. I mean what kinda guy asks you to meet his mom before he vamooses?"

The Doctor put out a cautionary hand. "Yeah, it might—might just help if you put that down."

"Huh?" She looked at the gun, shrugging. "Oh, sure." She threw it into a nearby box, the rest of the room flinching in anticipation of the resulting shot. "Relax," the woman said with a smile, "it's not real! It's just a prop—it was either that or a spear."

"What do you think happened to Lazlo?" Martha moved forward.

"I wish I knew. One minute he's there, the next: zip, vanished."

"Listen, what was your name?" The Doctor began.

"Tallulah."

"Tallulah—"

"Three L's and an H."

"—right. Um, I'll try and find Lazlo, but he's not the only one. There are people disappearing every night."

"And there are creatures," Solomon sighed. "Such creatures."

"Whatdya mean, creatures?"

"Look, just listen. Trust me, everyone is in danger." He pulled out the blob of organic matter from his coat pocket. Izzy made a mental note to never touch that pocket again, maybe the coat altogether. "I need to know what this is. Because then I'll know exactly what we're fighting."

Tallulah pulled a face and leaned away. "Yay."

XXXXXXXX

"Lazlo, he'd wait for me after the show, walk me home like I was a lady." Tallulah prepared in her costume while Izzy and Martha looked on with smiling faces.

"He sounds like quite the romantic," Izzy encouraged.

The dancer grinned. "He'd leave a flower on my dressing table. Every day, just a single rosebud."

"Haven't you reported him missing?" Martha moved to stand from the sofa.

"Sure, but he's just a stage hand, who cares? Management certainly don't."

"Can't you kick up a fuss or something?"

"Okay, so then they fire me," Tallulah rolled her eyes.

Izzy stood on her other side, joining Martha and Tallulah's faces in the mirror. "But they'd listen to you—you're one of the stars."

Tallulah smiled gently, "Oh honey, I got one song in a backstreet review and that's only 'cause Heidi Shakane broke her ankle." She looked up between Martha and Izzy. "Which had nothin' to do with me, whatever anybody says."

Martha and Izzy shared a wide-eyed above her head and both smiled lightly. Martha continued to test the lipstick.

"I can't afford to make a fuss!" Tallulah took Martha's fiddling as nonchalance. "If I don't make this month's rent, before you know it, I'm in Hooverville."

"Okay! I get it."

"It's the Depression, sweetie. You heart might break but the show goes on 'cause if it stops, you starve." The dancer stood, facing Martha. "Every night I have to go out there, sing, dance, keep goin', hoping he's gonna come back." She broke off in the beginnings of tears.

Martha pulled her into a hug and Izzy put a comforting hand on her back. "I'm sorry."

Tallulah pulled out of the hug and spoke to Martha. "Hey you're lucky, though. You got yourself a forward thinking guy with the hot-potato in the sharp suit." She turned to Izzy, "Or is he yours?"

"He's not—we're not—together," Martha stuttered in embarrassment as Izzy mumbled something to the same effect.

Tallulah put a sheepish hand over her mouth as she turned to the costume box. "I'm sorry, it's just—I've seen the way you look at him. It's obvious."

"Not to him." Martha quipped. Izzy just looked at the ground with flaming cheeks.

Tallulah pulled on the angel wings with a gentle smile. "Oh, I shoulda realized. He's into musical theatre, huh? What a waste. Still, you gotta live in hope! It's the only thing that's kept me going 'cause," she picked up a white rosebud, "well, look. On my dressing table every day still." She handed it to Martha and Izzy moved closer to see.

"Do you think it's Lazlo?" she asked.

Tallulah looked torn between hope and heartbreak. "I don't know. If he's still around, why is he being all secret like he doesn't want me to see him?"

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Come on, take a look!" Tallulah beckoned as the glittering performers rushed on stage. "Ever been on stage before?"

Martha and Izzy shared a look and a smirk. "Oh, just a little bit. You know, Shakespeare."

"How dull is that? Come and see a real show." Martha gave in and let herself be pulled away.

Izzy hung back, letting Martha have her fun. "I'm going to check on the Doctor, alright?" she called after her friend, who gave little sign of hearing her.

She found the Doctor bent over a small wiry contraption, twisting knobs and muttering to himself, "…engineered it."

"Engineered what, Doctor?" Izzy stood next to him, studying the smelly green glob.

Without looking up, he shushed her and continued to speak aloud quietly. "Whoever you are," he made an appreciative sound, "oh, you're clever."

Izzy, arms folded after he shushed her, glared at him with a cocked eyebrow. "Do you always talk to yourself like this?"

He turned his head and looked at her over his glasses, "I'm not talking to myself! I'm talking to you, aren't I?" He returned to the test subject. "But to answer your question, yes, I do. Now shush."

With an exaggerated pout, Izzy sat down on the step next to his contraption. His eyes flicked towards her briefly, and she could have sworn his mouth twitched up, but he focused again on the alien blob too quickly for her to be sure. "Fundamental DNA type 467-989." He took out the stethoscope and rubbed his closed eyes. "989… That means planet of origin," Izzy could visibly see him calculate and nearly smiled at the sight before he opened his eyes in realization, "Skaro."

He sprinted off immediately, heading towards the dressing rooms. Izzy followed as closely as she could, calling after him in confusion. "Doctor! What's wrong? What's Skaro?" He came to the end of the hall where the distressed dancers were grouped and stopped so suddenly that Izzy almost tripped over him.

He put an arm in the huddle and grabbed Tallulah. "Where is she? Where's Martha?"

"I don't know! She just ran off the stage!"

The Doctor breathed heavily for a moment, Izzy beside him, before a woman's scream echoed from the prop room. The Doctor and his companion took off towards it at the same time, pushing through the dancers.

He threw the door farther open and Izzy looked back to see Tallulah following. "Martha!" The entrance to the sewer was steaming and slightly open. The Doctor grabbed his coat as Tallulah arrived. "They've taken her."

"Who's taken her? Oh, where are you going?"

Izzy pushed open the grate and prepared to descend. The Doctor put out an arm to stop her. She looked up at him, ready to protest, until she saw he only meant to go first. She nodded and he led, wordlessly focused.

He climbed down slowly, Izzy beginning to follow as Tallulah continued to call after them. "I said, what the hell are you doing?"

Izzy's boots had just touched the ground when Tallulah's heels met the ladder. "No, no, no, no, no way! You're not coming."

The blonde's face appeared, determined. "Tell me what's going on."

"There's nothing you can do, go back!"

"Look," she continued down and Izzy moved out of her way. "Whoever's taken Martha, they coulda taken Lazlo, couldn't they?"

Izzy looked between the Doctor's grave face and Tallulah's determined one as he continued to warn her. "Tallulah, you're not safe down here."

"Then that's _my_ problem. Come on, which way?" Without waiting for a response, she took the tunnel to the right. The Doctor sighed and pointed his torch down the tunnel directly ahead. He started forward, leaving Izzy to redirect their tagalong.

"Tallulah," she corrected gently, "this way."

The much taller woman followed, correctly this time. They had just bent under a raised sewer gate when Tallulah caught up. "When you say: 'they've taken her,' who's they, exactly? And who are you two anyway? I never really asked."

The man shushed her urgently, ignoring her questions. Realizing his intent, Izzy listened carefully.

Tallulah, instead of quieting, continued. "Okay, okay." He shushed her again, slowing to a stop. Izzy could see the shadow of something mechanical on the sewer wall and leaned closer to get a better look. "I mean you're handsome and all—"

The dancer broke off in a short shriek as the Doctor covered her mouth and dragged her back. Startled, Izzy followed, backing away slowly. The Doctor stopped in a sealed archway on the side of the tunnel, pressing his hand hard against Tallulah's mouth. He grabbed Izzy's arm with his free hand and pulled her flat to him, his tight grip warning her not to move a muscle. Her body turned to his chest, she could only see out of the corners of her eyes, but she still grabbed Tallulah's hand and squeezed in an effort to calm her.

The mechanical whine grew closer and closer, until it passed directly in front of them. Izzy turned her eyes frantically to get a glimpse of the source, but could only see Tallulah's wide stare. She could feel the Doctor's double heartbeat quicken, and her own began to race faster than before. All her instincts were telling her that if it was enough to get affect the Doctor, then she should fear it, too. Finally, she caught a view of its metal backside as it continued away from them down the tunnel and let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

Tallulah pulled the hand away from her mouth and the Doctor released his grip on Izzy. She backed off of him almost reluctantly, watching him closely as she subtly rubbed the ache in her arm where his hand had been.

He stepped out into the tunnel, nearly following the machine, which Izzy could now see most of. "No, no, no, no," he groaned in quiet despair. "They survived. They always survive, while I lose everything."

Izzy moved closer, standing at his elbow and looking up at him concernedly. "Are you alright?" He gave no answer, still staring after the giant metal salt shaker.

"That metal thing?" Tallulah sounded mystified, "What was that?"

The Doctor spoke grudgingly, his voice full of bitterness. "It's called a Dalek. And it's not just metal—it's alive."

Tallulah laughed, the seriousness of the situation lost on her. "You're kiddin' me."

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" He turned his severe gaze on the blonde. "Inside that shell is a creature born to hate, who's only thought is to destroy everything that isn't a Dalek, too. It won't stop until it's killed every human being alive."

Tallulah smiled nervously. "But, if that's not a human being, that implies it's from outta space." He merely looked at her. "Yet again that's a no with the kiddin'." She took a shaky breath. "Oi. Well what's it doing here? In New York?"

He gave no answer.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Every second you're down here, you're in danger. I'm taking you back right now." The Doctor dragged Tallulah by the arm, back to the prop room ladder. "You too, Izzy."

Izzy, who had been following him closely, nearly stopped in shock. "What? No way, you are not leaving me—"

She was cut off by Tallulah's shriek as they turned the corner and she glimpsed another pig man waiting in the hall. The man jumped and rushed to the wall, trying to hide himself. Tallulah covered her mouth with her hands as the Doctor strode forward. Izzy stood by the blonde, both cautious and curious.

"Where's Martha? What have you done with her?" He pressed, the pig man still trying to hide his face. "What have you done with Martha?"

"I didn't take her!" Izzy started at the new voice, unaware they could speak anymore. She walked forward, halfway between the Doctor and Tallulah.

The Doctor gentled his voice. "Do you remember your name?"

"Don't look at me."

"Do you know where she is?" Tallulah ventured, nearing Izzy.

"Stay back!" The man threw out a hand to stop her. "Don't look at me."

"What happened to you?" The Doctor's voice was grave now. Believing it to be safer, Izzy neared them again, stopping just on the other side of the beam separating the man from view.

"They made me into a monster."

"Who did?"

"The Masters."

"The Daleks," the Doctor affirmed, his voice hard. "Why?"

"They needed slaves. They needed slaves to get more people so they created us: part animal, part human." He paused heavily. "I escaped before they got my mind. But it was still too late."

Izzy jumped in, her voice calm and patient. "Do you know what happened to Martha?"

He started, but became resigned when she moved into view beside the Doctor. "They took her. It's my fault, she was following me."

"Were you in the theatre?" came Tallulah's surprised voice.

"I never—yes."

"Why? Why were you there?"

"I never wanted you to see me like this." His head dropped, ashamed.

"Why? Why me? What'd I got to do with this?" She moved closer. "Were you following me, is that why you were there?"

The man stepped away from the wall and turned to her. "Yes."

Tallulah's eyes widened and she drew closer. "Who are you?"

"I was lonely."

"Who are you?" Tears were nearly spilling over now.

He sighed, "I had to see you."

"Who _are_ you?" Izzy watched the man, forming a guess.

"I'm sorry," he made to turn away.

Tallulah caught his arm and held it. "Wait. Let me look at you." She put another hand on his shoulder and slowly guided him into the light. She gave a watery smile. "Lazlo? My Lazlo?" She fiddled with his collar, tears threatening to fall. "What've they done to you?"

"I'm sorry," he whispered as she held his face, "I'm so sorry."

Stoic as ever, the Doctor moved forward. "Lazlo, can you show me where they are?"

"But they'll kill you," he protested while Tallulah tried to recover.

"If I don't stop them they'll kill everyone."

The man gave a nod and Tallulah smiled at him. "Then follow me."

Izzy, glad that the Doctor's previous notions had been forgotten, gave a comforting hand squeeze to Tallulah as they followed the men. They continued down the corridors in solemn silence before they rounded a corner and could hear the murmur of voices.

Excited, Izzy took a long stride forward through the archway when a grating metallic voice called, "SILENCE!"

The Doctor immediately pulled her back to him and Lazlo threw his arms out to stop Tallulah. Lazlo pulled himself against the wall, but the Doctor, Izzy, and Tallulah leaned their heads out to get a view.

"YOU WILL FORM A LINE," the Dalek's speech was broken, emphasizing each word individually. "MOVE, MOVE."

There was a flurry of movement and the humans struggled as the pig men grabbed them. Martha's voice rang through the tunnel. "It's okay everyone! Obey, just obey!"

"THE FEMALE IS WISE. OBEY!"

A second, identical Dalek rolled in, questioning the first.

"THESE ARE STRONG SPECIMENS," it answered, "THEY WILL HELP THE DALEK CAUSE. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE FINAL EXPERIMENT?"

"THE DALECANIUM IS IN PLACE. THE ENERGY CONDUCTOR IS NOW COMPLETE."

"THEN I WILL EXTRACT PRISONERS FOR SELECTION." A pig man squealed and grabbed a man in a scarf. "INTELLIGENCE SCAN: INITIATE." The Dalek raised a plunger-like arm to the man's face. "READING BRAINWAVES." It pulled away and the man let out a breath. "LOW INTELLIGENCE."

"You callin' me stupid?" the man retorted, offended despite the circumstances.

"SILENCE! THIS ONE WILL BECOME A PIG SLAVE," it turned away, "NEXT."

"No!" the man protested, "Let go of me! I'm not becoming one of them!"

The Dalek repeated the process on another male victim. The Doctor and Izzy pulled back as Lazlo began to speak. "They're divided into two groups: high intelligence and low intelligence. The low intelligence are taken, become pig slaves like me."

Tallulah objected, her high voice overloud. "But that's not fair!" Izzy hurriedly shushed her and the dancer continued in more hushed tones. "You're the smartest guy I ever dated."

The Doctor returned to task. "And the others?"

"They're taken to the laboratory."

"But why? What for?"

"I don't know. The Masters only talk about the Final Experiment."

"SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE." The Dalek moved his plunger from Frank and advanced on Martha. "INTELLIGENCE SCAN: INITIATE." There was a pause and the arm pulled back. "SUPERIOR INTELLIGENCE."

Martha's protest was almost unintelligibly high-pitched. "You can't just experiment on people, it's insane! It's not human!"

"WE ARE NOT HUMAN." It responded. "PRISONERS OF HIGH INTELLIGENCE WILL BE MOVED INTO THE TRANSGENIC LABORATORY." It began forward.

"Look out, they're moving!" the Doctor whispered harshly and pushed Izzy behind him as he flattened to the wall. Tallulah and Lazlo moved farther back, ready to run back where they came.

"Doctor! Doctor, quickly!" Lazlo beckoned.

"I'm not coming, I've got an idea. You go. Izzy, you too."

"I'm not leaving!" she whispered angrily. "Whatever you have planned to save Martha, I'm coming with you." She grabbed a fistful of his coat for good measure.

While Tallulah and Lazlo argued, he looked down at her with grave eyes. She continued to watch the procession, ignoring him. The fading echo of heels could be heard and Lazlo joined them, standing behind Izzy. All three leaned closer to the wall as the Daleks rounded the corner, turning away from them. Martha came into view, head down. Izzy released her grip on the Doctor and followed him as he stepped in beside his other companion.

"Just keep walking."

Martha looked back, her startled look turning relieved. "I'm so glad to see you two."

"Yeah, well, you can kiss me later. You too, Frank, if you want," he deadpanned. Izzy could practically hear Martha smile from her position between Frank and the Doctor.

XXXXXXXXXX

The tunnel finally led to a bigger concrete room with more Daleks and pig slaves. The line of prisoners stopped and filed against the pillars, watching silently as the Dalek at the rear passed by.

"REPORT," it commanded.

"DALEK SEC IS ENTERING THE FINAL STAGE OF EVOLUTION," answered one of the new Daleks in a higher, reedier mechanical voice.

"SCAN HIM," commanded the first, "PREPARE FOR BIRTH."

"Evolution?" the Doctor muttered.

"What's wrong with ol' ironsides over there?" Martha asked.

"Ask them."

Martha gasped and Izzy looked at him in astonishment. "What, me? Don't be daft!"

"I don't exactly want to get noticed," he retorted, "just ask them what's going on."

Martha stepped out of line, body rigid and nervous. "Daleks!" the group turned towards her and her voice grew steadier. "I demand to be told; what is this Final Experiment? Report!"

The higher voiced Dalek addressed her, moving his eye stock. "YOU WILL BEAR WITNESS."

"To what?" she continued curiously.

"THIS IS THE DAWN OF A NEW AGE."

"What does that mean?"

"WE ARE THE ONLY FOUR DALEKS IN EXISTENCE, SO THE SPECIES MUST EVOLVE FOR LIFE OUTSIDE THE SHELL. THE CHILDREN OF SKARO MUST WALK AGAIN." It moved away, back to the twitching black Dalek.

The Dalek's blue light faded out. Izzy widened her eyes as the metal hull split and began to open, revealing a crouched figure inside. It stepped out slowly, keeping its face hidden. Izzy unconsciously moved closer to the Doctor and saw Martha do the same.

"What is it?" Izzy questioned quietly.

The figure straightened, its pinstriped suit still steaming slightly. The exposed brain lifted, revealing a grossly wrinkled face with a beard of thick, squirming tentacles where the cheekbones would be on a man. A single eye glistened in the middle of the forehead. It flexed its pointed, wrinkled fingers and took a deep breath through purple, shriveled lips. A row of human teeth could be seen as it spoke.

"I am… a human Dalek," he spoke, slowly. "I am… your future!"

XXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: Finished, finally. I am definitely breaking my chapters up after this. Bigger is definitely not better in the case of updates. Review if you like. I know I do not deserve it.**


	6. Evolution of the Daleks

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but Izzy.

**A/N: I will attempt to keep this regular. College essays are to be written, however, and I think Stanford and Dartmouth take precedence over Doctor Who. No wait, what am I saying? That's blasphemy!**

XXXXXXXXX

The human-Dalek pointed and advanced slowly. "These humans will become like me."

In front of her, the Doctor moved out of line and behind the pillars. Izzy followed his movements with her eyes and stepped closer to Martha to fill the gap.

"Prepare them for hybridization." The tentacles moved as he spoke, and Izzy couldn't decide whether to be afraid or disgusted.

The Daleks turned to watch as the pig slaves grabbed the prisoners. Hairy hands grabbed Izzy with a squeal. She struggled roughly as her arms were pinned, Martha doing the same, only louder.

"Leave me alone!" Another grabbed her. "Don't you dare!"

Music began to play, echoing. The struggling stopped as everyone listened. "What is that sound?" the human-Dalek called, his voice sounding more reminiscent of his old metallic one.

The Doctor came out from behind a large machine, holding an old radio, "Ah, well now, that would be me." He set it down next to a burning beaker, "Hello. Surprise! Boo, etcetera."

"Doctor!" the new creature breathed.

"THE ENEMY OF THE DALEKS!"

"EXTERMINATE!"

"Wait!" the human-Dalek threw out his arms. The Daleks froze except for the shifting of eyestalks and Izzy could almost picture the confusion on their faces, if they had any.

"Well then, a new form of Dalek—fascinating. And very clever." The Doctor walked to meet the human-Dalek face to face.

"The Cult of Skaro escaped your slaughter!"

"How did you end up in 1930?"

"Emergency temporal shift," the creature ground out the words.

"Oh," the Doctor gave a superficial smile, "that must have roasted up your power cells. Yeah?" He tugged at his earlobe and turned. "Time Wars, four Daleks could have conquered the world. But instead you're skulking away, hidden in the dark, experimenting," he half-turned back to address the creature. "All of which results in you."

"I am Dalek, in human form!"

"But what does it feel like?" The Doctor's face was all serious now. "You can talk to be, Dalek Sec—it is Dalek Sec, isn't it? That's your name. You've got a name, and a mind of your own. Tell me what you're thinking right now."

"I," the human-Dalek hesitated, "feel… humanity." He turned away from prisoners.

"Good, that's good."

"I feel… everything we wanted from mankind. Which is… ambition, hatred, aggression, and war." He clenched his hands. "Such a genius for war."

"No," the Doctor shook his head, "that's not what humanity means."

"I think it does! At heart, this species is so very… Dalek."

The Doctor whipped away, frustrated. "Alright, so what have you achieved, then, with this Final Experiment? Nothing!" He pointed to each Dalek in the half circle, "Cause I could show you what you're missing. What is that?" He pointed to the radio he had set down and patted it. "A simple little radio, that's all."

"WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THAT DEVICE?"

"Well, exactly, it plays music—what's the point of that?" His tone was mock scornful. "Oh with music you can dance to it, sing with it, fall in love to it. Unless you're a Dalek of course, then it's all just," he pointed his sonic at the radio until it gave a high whine, "noise!"

The Daleks, including the human one, shouted in agony, incapacitated for the moment.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted over the whine. The pig-slaves, sharing their makers' pain, released the prisoners. Izzy at the lead, the humans took off down the tunnels, the Doctor racing at the rear.

XXXXXXXX

Footsteps echoed in the wet corridors. The party came to a fork, and Izzy slowed momentarily in hesitation. The Doctor ran past her to the front, leading with a yell.

"Move, move, move, move!" The tunnel he turned into led to another bend, but just before it stood a shocked Tallulah, obviously lost. "You too, Tallulah!" He rushed past her, "Run!"

Behind Izzy, Martha put an arm around Tallulah pulling her as the dancer shouted, "What happened to Lazlo?"

Finally they reached the manhole ladder. The Doctor stopped at the bottom and ushered everyone up. "Come on, everyone up!"

XXXXXXXX

The group warmed themselves around the campfire, having safely reached Hooverville. Izzy sat next to Frank on an upturned crate next to two standing men, chin in her hands and staring into the fire.

"These Daleks—they sound like the stuff of nightmares. And they wanna breed?" Solomon held his gun loosely.

The Doctor stood beside him with arms crossed against the night chill. "They're splicing themselves on human bodies, and if I'm right they've got a farm—a breeding stock—right here in Hooverville. You've gotta get everyone out."

"Hooverville's the lowest place a man can fall, there's nowhere else to go!"

"I'm sorry Solomon, you've got to go. Scatter, go anywhere, get onto the railroads, travel across state—just get out of New York!"

"There's got to be a way to reason with these things," Solomon persisted. Their audience shut him down.

"Not a chance," Izzy scoffed, her eyes never leaving the fire.

Beside her, Frank stood. "You ain't seen 'em, boss."

"The Daleks are bad enough at any time but now they're vulnerable. That makes them more dangerous than ever," the Doctor affirmed.

They were nearly interrupted by a whistle and shouts. Solomon gripped his gun harder, suddenly on the alert. "Sentry must've seen something."

The camp erupted into frantic scurrying as the sentry sprinted into the clearing. "They're coming! I've seen them, they're coming!"

The Doctor stared into the darkness. "It's started."

"We're under attack! Everyone arms!" Solomon shouted into the melee. As the men began to form a staggered circle of defense, the Doctor ushered Tallulah behind him, followed by Martha and Izzy, who both carried sticks as weapons.

"…grab anything! Arm yourselves!" Frank shouted at the scrambling people.

"Come back!" Solomon yelled to the people running away from the main group in panic. "It's not safe out there, come back!" The squeals of pig slaves multiplied, joining with the terrified screams of captured humans.

"We need to get out of the park!" Martha gripped her branch tightly.

"We can't!" Izzy cried, watching the surviving few men run to their circle, "They're everywhere."

"They're on all sides!" The Doctor rushed to stand behind his companions. "Driving everyone back towards us."

"We're trapped!" Tallulah despaired.

The group tightened inwards, condensing. "Then we stand together! Gather 'round, everyone come to me." Solomon continued to shout out names Izzy didn't recognize. "They can't take all of us!"

The pig slaves gathered a distance around the huddle. Shots rang out near Izzy's ear and she jumped from the sound. Pig slaves fell as they rushed the group, but many remained unwounded.

"If we can just hold them off until daylight," Martha hoped shakily.

"Oh, Martha, they're just the foot soldiers," he looked gravely into the sky behind her. Izzy turned quickly at the sound of mechanical whirring. She nearly dropped her branch at the sight of a Dalek flying towards them, its cruel shell no longer limited to the ground.

"Oh my God," Martha muttered, turning rigidly. The entire group was looking fearfully into the sky now.

"What in this world—" Solomon started.

The sentry interrupted. "It's the Devil, in the sky. That's all—it's damnation!"

Frank raised his gun. "Yeah, let's see about that!" He fired just before the Doctor could lower his gun, the bullets ricocheting off the metal hull.

"That won't work!"

Izzy came up behind the Doctor in his new position. She put a hand on his arm but stayed mostly shielded by his tall frame. "There's more than one of them."

A second Dalek zoomed closer and fired into the tents, the flimsy material exploding and burning as people struggled to get out of range. The two aliens crossed over the camp, firing on all sides, causing the center group to flinch at each new onslaught. Screams and shout filled the park, the camp lit up by the flames consuming it.

A Dalek stopped just above and in front of the center group, focusing on the remaining humans with its eyestalk. "THE HUMANS WILL SURRENDER!"

The Doctor stood from his flinching position, stepping away from Izzy. "Leave them alone, they done nothing to you!"

The Dalek paused and Solomon stepped forward bravely. The Doctor made to stop him, "No, Solomon stay back, it's not safe!"

"I'm told that, I'm addressing the Daleks. Is that right?" the second Dalek joined the first above them. "From what I hear, you're outcasts, too."

"Solomon, don't—" The Doctor cautioned, still holding the man back.

Solomon's voice fell slightly from his shout. "Doctor, this is my township, you will respect my authority." He pushed the man back gently, his voice falling to normal volume. "Just let me try." The entire time, the Doctor shook his head urgently. Solomon ignored him and opened his arms up in a form of surrender. "Daleks, ain't we the same? Underneath, ain't we all kin?" He lowered his gun to the ground, moving slowly closer. "See, I've just discovered this past day, that God's universe is a thousand times the size I thought it was! And that scares me—oh hell—terrifies me, right down to the bone. But surely it's got to give me hope, hope that maybe together, we can make a better tomorrow." His wide, expressive stance began to relax some, but Izzy continued to near shake in anticipation. "So, I beg you now, if you have any compassion in your hearts, then you'll meet with us and stop this fight!"

There was a lull, and Izzy looked from the Dalek to the Doctor to Solomon with wide eyes. "Well," Solomon started again, "what do ya say?"

"EXTERMINATE!" A blue beam hit Solomon and his body lit up with his scream. He collapsed and screams erupted from the humans, his friends, screams of panic and loss. Frank ran to the body, yelling Solomon's name.

Izzy watched the fallen man in shock, but upon glancing at the Doctor's face, she saw none. He had known this would happen, and her chest clenched in pain for him, unable to stop Solomon from getting himself killed.

"They killed him," came Martha's shaky exclamation, "they just shot him on the spot!"

"Daleks," the Doctor muttered through clenched teeth. He moved away from the crowd, his arms thrown wide, commanding attention. "Alright, so it's my turn! Then kill me!" Izzy took a step forward but Tallulah held her back with a rigid, fear-filled grip. "Kill me if it will stop you from attacking these people!"

"I WILL BE THE DESTROYER OF OUR GREATEST ENEMY!" Izzy could hear the near-glee through the metallic voice.

"Then do it! Do it!" The Doctor shouted, vehemently hitting his chest where his hearts lay. Izzy clamped a hand over her mouth in near-tearful anticipation. "Just do it! DO IT!"

The whirring grew louder. "EXTERMINATE!" Izzy held her breath, but the beam never came, no body fell, and the Doctor lowered his arms in confusion. The Dalek began to talk to someone that was not there. "I DO NOT UNDERSTAND. IT IS THE DOCTOR!" A pause for response, then again it replied to nothing. "THE URGE TO KILL IS TOO STRONG… I WILL OBEY."

Martha lowered her stick in awe and Izzy lowered her hand, cheeks remaining dry as she still stared at the still-standing Doctor.

"What's going on?" he shouted up.

"YOU WILL FOLLOW."

"No!" Izzy moved away from the crowd, followed closely by Martha.

"You can't go!" Martha continued for her.

He turned to his companions, body still facing the Dalek. "I've gotta go. The Daleks just changed their minds; Daleks never change their minds."

"But what about us?" Izzy pointed to the scared humans, her voice clear but quiet.

The Doctor's eyes slid past her and Martha to the huddle, eyes grave. His voice rose again as he pointed to the crowd. "One condition: if I come with you, you spare the lives of everyone here! You hear me?"

The Dalek had an air of reluctance, but it grudgingly acquiesced, "THE HUMANS WILL BE SPARED. DOCTOR, FOLLOW."

"I'm coming with you," Martha came forward.

Izzy rushed to her side, giving the Doctor a determined look. "_We're_ coming with you."

"No, you two stay here," he glance over their faces to the people behind them, "Izzy, do what you can for these people. Martha, people are hurt, you can help them. Let me go." He stepped away and Izzy stared defiantly at the huddle while Martha's gaze dropped to the ground.

The Doctor turned around suddenly, his voice startling their heads towards him again. "Oh and can I just say," he walked the few steps back to them putting his hands around one of Martha's while he spoke, "Thank you very much." He did the same to Izzy, throwing her a wink instead of words.

Izzy felt a material linger in her hand after he released it. He walked away steadily, hands in pockets, while she looked confusedly at the psychic paper in her hands. She revealed it to Martha, who made a half-disbelieving noise as she stared after his retreating form.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Izzy came into the tent after helping dump buckets of water on the still-flaming remnants of Hooverville. She stood next to Martha and watched as the med student tied a bandage around an injured resident.

Tallulah entered on the opposite side, carrying a small pot. "Here ya go, I got some more on the boil."

"Thanks," Martha said before addressing her patient. "You'll be alright, it's just a cut. Try and keep it clean." She patted him on the shoulder as he thanked her and left.

Tallulah leaned against the tent wall and watched after him. "So what about us? What do we do now?" she asked the time-travelers casually.

Izzy pulled the psychic paper out of her blazer pocket. "The Doctor gave us this," she opened it up, showing the blonde. "He must've had a reason."

"What's that for?"

"It gets you into places, buildings and things," Martha answered, lightly taking it from Izzy. "But where? He must want us to go somewhere, but, what are we supposed to do?"

Martha paced, flapping the paper into her open palm repeatedly. "Wait a minute," she paused, turning back to Tallulah and Izzy, who were reading old papers, "Down in the sewers, the Daleks mentioned this," she stuttered, "energy conductor."

"What does that mean?" Tallulah asked.

Izzy looked contemplative as Martha continued. "I dunno… maybe like a lightning conductor or— Dalecanium!" she shouted, startling both Tallulah and Izzy. "They said: the Dalecanium was in place."

"In place where?" Tallulah asked, completely lost.

Izzy gave an excited smile and moved to exit the tent. "Frank might know." The women hurriedly followed.

Martha reached Frank ahead of Izzy. The mourning man sat on a crate just outside his tent. "Frank," she called, and he quickly wiped at his eyes. "That Mr. Diagoras, he's like some sort of fixer, yeah? Get you jobs all over town?"

"Yeah, he could find a profit anywhere."

Izzy jumped in. "But where, though. What sorts of things?"

"Anything," he shook his head, "you name it. We're all so desperate for work you just hope Diagoras'll give you something good. Building work—that pays the best."

Izzy lowered herself to look up into his downcast face. "But what sort of building work?"

"Mainly buildin' that," he pointed up to the Empire State and the three women shared a look.

XXXXXXXXX

"Always wanted to go to the Empire State. Never imagined it quite like this though," Martha mused as the four of them rode in the shaky service elevator.

"Where are we goin' anyway?" Frank asked, his arms folded protectively.

"Right up to the top where they're still building," supplied Izzy.

"Hey how come those guys just let us through? How does that thing work?" Tallulah puzzled.

"Psychic paper," Izzy pulled it out of her pocket, smiling. Martha had given it back at Hooverville. "Shows them whatever I want them to think." She turned it over in her hands before giving it to Frank. "According to this we're three engineers and an architect."

Finally, the elevator chattered to a stop and the doors opened to a large, empty room. The moonlight through the open window frame cast a cold grey light through the space.

Tallulah stepped out first, followed more cautiously by the others. "Look at this place! Top of the world," she spun in awe.

"Martha, over here," Izzy started towards an easel of building schematics. "This looks good." Martha and Frank joined her.

"Hey," Frank pointed to a red square at the bottom, "look at the date. These designs were issued today."

"They must've made a change last minute," Izzy concluded for him.

"You mean the Daleks changed something?" Martha flipped through the pages.

"Yeah, could be," Frank allowed.

"The ones underneath, they're from before, that means whatever they changed must be on this top sheet, but not on this one," Martha observed.

"Let's put one against the other," Izzy suggested, and they position the papers.

"The height of this place!" Tallulah exclaimed, "This is amazing!"

"Careful, we're a hundred floors up, don't go wandering off!" Martha called.

"I just wanna see," Tallulah assured and walked closer to the construction area.

Izzy and Martha had laid the plans on the ground next to them when Tallulah strolled back. Frank stepped away from the women, back towards the elevator.

"I'll go an' keep an eye out, make sure we're safe up here. Don't want nobody buttin' in."

"There's a hell of a storm movin' in," Tallulah pointed out.

"I wish the Doctor was here, he'd know what we're looking for," Martha shifted the papers, frustrated.

"So tell me—where'd you and him first hook up?" Tallulah was clearly addressing Martha and Izzy immediately felt uncomfortable and more than a little left out.

She stood, backing away hurriedly. "I'm just gonna—" She stopped when she realized no one paid her any mind as Tallulah took her spot next to Martha.

Izzy made her way to the window, still able to hear Martha's distracted response. "It was in a hospital, sort of."

"'Course, him bein' a doctor."

"Actually I'm a doctor. Well, kind of."

"You're a physician? Really?" Tallulah sounded incredulous.

"I was training. I still am if I get back home." Izzy leaned hard against the concrete wall, her mind drawn to the life she left behind. It had only been three trips to other worlds but she already felt different. Her own world didn't pull at her like it should. Instead, she envisioned TARDIS blue while she heard Tallulah and Martha continue.

"You could be doctors together. What a partnership!" She sighed, "Such a shame. If only he wasn't so… _different_, you know what I mean?" _Dr. Smith and Dr. Jones, how perfect. Who am I, Toto?_

"Oh, you have no idea how different he really is," Izzy could hear the smile in Martha's voice and found herself smiling in response, shaking off the beginnings of jealousy.

"Yeah, he's a man sweetheart, that's different enough," came Tallulah's dry reply.

Martha paused before continuing. "He had this… companion, a while back, this friend. Ever since then he's been on his own." Her voice was quieter, and Izzy turned towards them to hear better. "But you know sometimes I say something or do something and he looks at me and I just sort of think—" she paused, "he's not seeing me. He's just remembering." _Rose seems like a hard act to follow._

"Oh, listen, sweetheart, you wanna get all sad," Tallulah's voice carried the hint of coming tears, "you wanna have a contest with me and Lazlo?"

"No," Martha assured. "But listen, if the Doctor's with Lazlo right now there's every chance that he could get him out."

"And then what?" Tallulah's voice lost all softness. "Don't talk crazy. There's no future for me and him. Those Dalek things took that away." Izzy could hear the click of her heels as she stood. "The one good thing I had in my life and they destroyed it."

XXXXXXXX

"Gotcha!" Martha exclaimed. "Look!" Izzy hurried from the window and joined Tallulah in following the woman's finger. She lifted up another design, revealing two almost identical ones. "Those little lines? They're new, they've added something. See?" She pointed closer to the two bold lines on the newer sketch.

"Added what?" Tallulah asked.

Izzy and Martha looked at each other with twin smiles. "Dalecanium!" They chorused.

XXXXXXXX

The elevator dinged, calling the attention of the room's occupants. The gilded doors opened, revealing two men, one in a rather long trench coat.

"Doctor!" Izzy began, and Martha echoed.

The Doctor said something clever and released his hands from Lazlo's shoulder.

Tallulah raced to the transformed man. "I never thought I'd see you again!"

Lazlo met her halfway and caught her in a tight embrace. "No stopping me."

The Doctor ran to his companions and Izzy caught him up. "We've worked it out; there's Dalecanium on the mast."

Martha picked up without losing a beat. "And it's good to see you, too, by the way."

They shared a grin and he picked her up in a spinning hug, "Aww, come here."

Izzy smiled at the happy reunion until the elevator dinged again and the doors began to close.

The Doctor nearly dropped Martha and ran to the closing doors with a series of rapid no's. His companions followed closely. "See, that's why you never waste time on a hug." The sonic pointed at the buttons obviously did not do its job, for he banged the wall soon after in frustration. "Deadlock sealed, can't stop it."

"Where's it going?" Martha cried.

"Right down to the Daleks, and they aren't going to leave us alone up here." He moved across the floor, looking for a solution in the open air. "What's the time?"

"Uh, eleven-fifteen," supplied Frank.

"Six minutes to go. I've gotta remove the Dalecanium before the gamma rays radiation hits."

"Gamma radiation, what the heck is that?" Tallulah asked from her position clung to Lazlo.

Izzy grabbed the Doctor's hand and hurriedly pulled him towards the scaffolding. He braced himself against the boards above him, looking at the intimidating view. "Oh, that's high, that's very—blimey that's high!"

"And we've got to go even higher," Izzy remarked, looking over the edge.

Martha pointed to the ladder and the Doctor and Izzy followed her finger. "That's the mast up there. Look—there's three pieces of Dalecanium on the base we've got to get them off."

The man turned to his companions. "That's not we, that's just me."

"We're not just going to stand here and watch you!" Izzy shot back, the wind whipping her hair about her face.

"No, you're going to have your hands full anyway," he focused on her, "I'm sorry, but you've gotta fight."

XXXXXXXX

Izzy gripped her hammer hard as she saw the needle begin to rise through the floors. Everyone beside her did the same, clutching their own construction weapons.

"The lift's coming up!" Martha gasped.

"I shoulda brought that gun," Frank cursed.

"Tallulah, stay back," Lazlo ordered, "you too Izzy, Martha." He pushed back Izzy and Martha next to her with one protective arm. "These new pig slaves are trained to kill."

"I'm not leaving!" Izzy stood her ground

"The Doctor needs us to fight," Martha pushed against him as well. "We're not going anywhere."

"No!" Lazlo shoved harder. "They're savages, I should know! They're trained to slit your throat with their bare teeth." The needle reached 30 and Lazlo collapsed.

"Lazlo?" Tallulah cried. "What is it?"

"No, it's nothing," The pig slave tried to support himself with his hammer. "I'm fine, just leave me!"

"Oh, honey, you're burning up!" she exclaimed as he fell against the pillar. "What's wrong with you, tell me!"

"One man down and we ain't even started yet," Frank held his hammer higher.

"We're gonna get slaughtered!" Martha despaired.

"This is very not good," Izzy remarked, staring anxiously at the needle. Thunder cracked outside, the lightning itself frightfully close. Izzy whipped her head towards the scaffolding in realization, "Wait a minute—" she turned to the woman beside her, "Martha, lightning!"

Martha's eyes lit up and the two ran to the scaffolding, leaving a very puzzled Frank behind.

XXXXXXX

"What the hell are you three clowns doin'?" Tallulah barked. Izzy pulled a chair in line and Martha set the rod through as Frank settled the other end.

"Even if the Doctor removes the Dalecanium, this building is still going to get hit," Izzy replied, grabbing another supporting tripod. "Great big bolt of lightning, electricity all down the building."

"Connect this to the lift," Martha continued, feeding Izzy another pole, "they all get zapped!"

"Oh my God, that could work!" Tallulah said, surprised.

Frank reminded Tallulah of her rather useless position and raced back to the scaffolding. "Then give us a hand!"

Izzy followed him and pulled out two shorter poles from the pile of construction supplies. She looked up, hoping to get a glimpse of the mast. The angle was wrong, but she saw no Doctor on the side of the building, so he at least made it to the top. Remembering her earlier urgency, she raced back to the lift and handed Martha a pole. The women set them against the lift, making sure the line of metal was continuous. They rushed back to Lazlo's pillar.

"Is that gonna work?" Tallulah asked.

"It's got to," Martha hoped, reaching the pillar just as Frank ran in.

"I've got it all piped up to the scaffolding outside."

"Just stay in the middle and don't touch anything metal," Izzy instructed as they all huddled close. The needle finally reached 100 and with _ding_ the doors slid open, revealing a lift packed full of snorting, squealing pig slaves.

Thunder clapped around them as pale blue electricity shot through the pipes and into the metal elevator. The pig slaves lit up themselves as the lightning and gamma rays ran through them. Izzy could not bear to watch, instead tucker her head into her chest and squeezing her eyes shut. If she could close her ears to their dying screams, she would have.

The thunder quieted and so did the hum and tingle of electricity. The group unfolded themselves and rose slowly with surprised gasps as they looked upon the pile of bodies. Martha ran to the lift, Frank and Izzy following closely.

Frank gave a smile and made a disbelieving noise as he grabbed Martha's arm. Tallulah joined them, smiling slightly. "You did it, girls!"

Izzy's voice was as grave as Martha's face was sad. "They were people once, like Lazlo— victims."

Martha's voice was steely as she finished for her, "And we killed them."

"No," Lazlo corrected, standing. "The Daleks killed them, long ago."

"What about the Doctor?" Martha asked herself and ran to the scaffolding. Izzy followed quickly, her heart quickening in a mixture of hope and anxiety.

XXXXXXXX

"Doctor!" Izzy cried as she saw his prone body near the edge. She nearly stood to rush to him, but remembered the height and stuck closer the planks. She reached him just before Martha, positioning herself by his head, hand on his chest. She could feel his heartbeats, but he wasn't waking.

"Doctor, look what we found," Martha started, presenting the screwdriver, "half-way down."

"You're getting careless," Izzy gave a concerned half-smile as the wind snatched at her hair.

"Oh," he groaned, not opening his eyes, "my head."

Izzy and Martha both grinned. "Well, hello," Izzy said, relieved.

"Hi," he squinted, "you two survived then."

"So did you," Martha laughed, "just about."

"Doctor," Izzy began, "I can't help noticing that there's Dalecanium still attached."

XXXXXXXXX

"The Daleks will have gone straight to war footing. They'll be using the sewer system, spreading the soldiers out underneath Manhattan." They stood on the top floor again, facing the city below.

"How do we stop them?" Lazlo asked.

"There's only one chance. I got in the way." The Doctor looked to Izzy. "That gamma strike went zapping through me first."

"Yeah, but what does that mean?" Martha called, following after his long strides.

"We need something to draw fire before they attack New York, I need to face them. I need to draw them out," he ran a hand over his face. "Think, think, think, think, some sort of space—" His hand was in his hair now, fluffing it up more than the electricity did, "somewhere safe, somewhere out of the way. Tallulah!" he whipped around.

"That's me, three L's and an H."

"The theatre, it's right above them and what, it's gone midnight. Can you get us inside?"

"Don't see why not."

He spun to the fried elevator and back to them. "Is there another lift?"

"We took the service elevator," Izzy said, starting towards it. "Mind you, it'll be a bit cramped."

"It'll do. Allons-y!"

XXXXXXXX

"That should do it, here we go." The Doctor leaped onto the seats and pulled out his sonic.

"Oh, there ain't nothin' creepier than a theatre in the dark," Tallulah worried. "Listen, Doctor, I know you got a thing for show tunes, but there's a time and a place, huh?" She was distracted by Lazlo collapsing into a chair, clutching his chest. "Lazlo? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he offhanded, "it's just so hot."

"But, it's freezing in here." She looked up to the Doctor, who was holding the beeping sonic close to his ear. "Doctor, what's happening to him?"

"Not now Tallulah, sorry." He stretched his arm out, holding the sonic high.

"What are you doing?" Izzy asked, craning her neck to look up at him.

"If the Daleks are going to war, they're going to want to find their number one enemy." He looked down at his two companions. "I'll just tell them where I am."

"Izzy, Martha get out of here," when he say they hadn't moved he stepped down. "I'm telling you two to go, Frank can take you back to Hooverville."

The two women crossed their arms in defiance. "And I'm telling you, we're not going," Martha affirmed.

"That's an order," he said sternly, still holding up the sonic.

"Who are you then, some sort of Dalek?" Izzy retorted. The doors crashed open interrupting them. The sound of marching feet filled the theatre as the human-Dalek army filed inside.

"Doctor, oh my God!" Tallulah exclaimed, pulling Lazlo close to her. "Well I guess that's them then, huh?"

"Humans, with Dalek DNA." Martha said.

"And a little bit of the Doctor," Izzy added. The Doctor gave her a knowing nod.

Frank moved to attack the line surrounding them, but the Doctor grabbed him. "It's alright, just stay calm. Don't antagonize them."

"But where are the Daleks, the bastards. Where are they?" Lazlo cursed, holding tight to Tallulah.

He got his answer in the form of a loud explosion onstage. The group ducked below the seats, but slowly rose to see two Daleks rolling through the stage wall. In front of them, chained like a dog, crawled the original human-Dalek. The Doctor stood first, followed by Izzy and the men. Tallulah and Martha took their time.

"THE DOCTOR WILL STAND IN FRONT OF THE DALEKS," one called. The Doctor accordingly stepped on the backs of the seats and walked steadily over the rows to the stage. "YOU WILL DIE, DOCTOR AT THE BEGINNING OF A NEW AGE."

"THE EARTH WILL BECOME NEW SKARO," added the other in a higher whine.

"Oh and what a world—with anything just the _slightest_ bit different ground into the dirt." The Doctor pointed, "That's Dalek Sec. Don't you remember? The cleverest ever, and look what you've done to him." Sec's one eye blinked. "Is that your new empire? Hmm? Is that the foundation for a whole new civilization?"

"My Daleks," Sec started, "just understand this: if you choose death and destruction, then death and destruction shall choose you."

"INCORRECT. WE ALWAYS SURVIVE."

The higher pitched one spoke. "NOW WE WILL DESTROY OUR GREATEST ENEMY: THE DOCTOR."

"But he can help you!" Sec interrupted.

"THE DOCTOR MUST DIE."

"No, I beg you, don't!" Sec crawled in front of his jailor.

"EXTERMINATE!" Sec stood, blocking the beam of the Dalek. His skeleton lit up and he cried out in pain, the skull mutated for one eye socket. His body fell rigidly and the chain slipped from the Dalek's grip.

"Your own leader," the Doctor said, unshaken. "The only creature that might have led you out of the darkness and you destroyed him." He turned to the watching human-Daleks. "Do you see what they did? Huh? You see what a Dalek really is?" The Daleks on stage shifted almost uncomfortably. "If I'm gonna die let's give the new boys a shot, eh? What do ya think? The Dalek-humans, their first blood." He spread his arms wide, "Go on, baptize them."

"DALEK-HUMANS, TAKE AIM." They raised their guns, readying them for fire.

"What're you waiting for, give the command."

"EXTERMINATE." Izzy and Martha flinched into Frank, closing their eyes in anticipation. Not shots or screams came. "EXTERMINATE!" Still there was no movement from the Dalek-humans. "OBEY! DALEK-HUMANS WILL OBEY!"

"They're not firing," Martha lifted her head. "What've you done?"

"YOU WILL OBEY! EXTERMINATE!"

"Why?" a Dalek-human to their right asked tonelessly.

"DALEKS DO NOT QUESTION ORDERS!"

"But why?"

"YOU WILL STOP THIS!"

"But why?" The man looked expressionlessly as the Doctor.

"YOU MUST NOT QUESTION!"

"But you are not our Master, and we, we are not Daleks."

"No you're not," the Doctor's voice was comforting, "and you never will be." He looked to the Daleks almost smugly, "Sorry. I got in the way of the lightning strike. Time Lord DNA got all mixed up—just that little bit of freedom." He winked at Izzy behind him, congratulating her correct guess.

"IF THEY WILL NOT OBEY, THEY MUST DIE," it fired before it even finished speaking, hitting the first Dalek-human who questioned.

"Get down!" The Doctor dropped into the backside of the row just as the Dalek-humans began to fire upon their creators.

"EXTERMINATE! EXTERMINATE!" Dalek-humans fell with last shouts of pain, but whatever force-field the Daleks had absorbed most of the beams. But they were not made to sustain that many blasts from their own technology for long and the deep-voiced Dalek was the first to blow. The other followed soon after. The theatre fell quiet again and the humans slowly rose from cover.

The Doctor leapt up to comfort the remaining Dalek-humans. "It's alright, it's alright. You did it, you're free."

A beat later a high growing whine filled the room and the Dalek-humans clutched her heads in pain, collapsing.

"No!" The Doctor rushed to the nearest man when the whine died. Izzy and Martha ran out to the row to his side. "They can't, they can't, they can't!"

"What happened?" Izzy asked tensely.

"What was that?" Martha practically shrieked after her.

"They killed them rather than let them live. An entire species; genocide."

"Only two of the Daleks have been destroyed," Lazlo reminded. "One of the Dalek Masters must still be alive."

"Oh yes," the Doctor stood, staring into nothing, "in the whole universe, just one."

XXXXXXX

"Doctor! Doctor!" Martha cried, supporting Lazlo with Izzy. Tallulah hovered worriedly around his face. The Doctor turned from staring at a now-empty space to face them. "He's sick." Lazlo huffed and coughed, struggling to breathe right as they eased him down.

"It's okay, you're alright," Izzy soothed, leaning him into Tallulah's awaiting arms.

"It's his heart, it's racing like mad. I've never seen anything like it." Martha rested a hand on his chest.

"What is it, Doctor? What's the matter with him; he says he can't breathe." Izzy and Martha stood away as Tallulah pleaded for help. "What is it?"

"It's time, sweetheart," Lazlo huffed.

"What do you mean time? What're you talking about?"

"None of the slaves survived for long; most of them only lived for a few weeks." Lazlo looked sadly up into his love's eyes. "I was lucky. I held on 'cause I had you. But now, I'm dying Tallulah."

"No you're not," Tallulah pushed, her voice watery, "not now after all this. Doctor, can't you do something?"

"Oh Tallulah with three L's and an H," he began, lifting his head from his folded hands, "just you watch me." I stood and tore off his coat. "Oh, what do I need—how about a great big genetic laboratory!" He looked at Izzy cheekily, "Oh look, I've got one. Lazlo! Just you hold on. There's been too many deaths today," he wildly mixed a blue liquid, pouring it into something that steamed; "way too many people have died—brand new creatures and wise old men and age old enemies. And I'm telling you, I'm telling you right now," he sucked the substance into a syringe and pulled out his sonic, "I'm not having one more death, you got that? Not one!" The burner lit and he packed the sonic away again, instead pulling out a stethoscope. "Tallulah, out of the way—the Doctor is in."

XXXXXXXXX

Izzy stood on the other side of the Doctor, smiling hopefully as Frank approached. The young man shoved his hands in his pockets as he spoke, "Well, I talked to 'em, and I told 'em what Solomon woulda said—I reckon I shamed one or two of them."

"What did they say?" Izzy pressed.

"They said yes," Frank nodded with a smile. Tallulah gasped and embraced Lazlo tightly. "They'll give you a home, Lazlo" he continued, "I mean, uh, don't imagine people ain't gonna stare; I can't promise you'll be at peace. But, in the end, that is what Hooverville is for, people who ain't got nowhere else."

"Thank you," Lazlo said while Tallulah stared happily into his eyes, "I can't thank you enough."

XXXXXXXX

"Do you think they'll work out, in the end?" Izzy asked once they had returned to Liberty Island.

"I dunno. Anywhere else in the universe I might worry about them, but New York—it's what this city's good at. Give me your tired, your poor huddled masses and maybe the odd pig slave Dalek-mutant hybrid, too." Martha laughed.

Izzy laughed, "The pig and the showgirl."

"The pig and the showgirl," the Doctor agreed, smiling.

"Just proves it, I suppose," Martha concluded, "There's someone for everyone."

The Doctor's brilliant smile faded and he turned back to the TARDIS. "Maybe."

Martha's face grew disappointed and her eyes connected with Izzy's for a moment. The brunette's own smile faded before she followed after the Doctor.

Martha stopped at the door. "Meant to say, I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"That the Dalek got away, I know what means to you." He made an indistinct noise in response as he unlocked the door.

"Do you think you'll ever see it again?" Izzy looked up into his face.

The door creaked open. "Oh, yes." Martha and Izzy filed in. "One day." Izzy heard him finish faintly before the TARDIS finally closed with a click.

**A/N: Maybe I'm getting better at this, but they don't seem quite so long. Maybe that's because I'm writing them in condensed periods when my parents think I'm writing my college essays. Why don't they understand? This is so much more fun than writing about myself!**

**By the way, if you see any major typos or discrepancies, please point them out. I will promptly fix them, as typos are my own pet peeve when reading other stories. I am re-reading older chapters in order to fix any in those.**


	7. The Lazarus Experiment

**Disclaimer**: Doctor Who characters and dialogue belong to their respective creators. Izzy belongs to me.

**A/N: These are my last two weeks of summer, so I will attempt to pump out as much as I can before the lull. Enjoy.**

XXXXXXX

Izzy ducked as the Doctor stretched over her to reach various knobs and switches. The TARDIS trembled around her and she gripped the console tighter. The Doctor came back over her to his original position, pulling a large lever that quieted the ship.

"There we go, perfect landing," he scratched his head, mindlessly, "which isn't easy in such a tight spot."

Izzy gave him a smirk. "Oh, you should be used to tight spots by now."

Martha released the console, rubbing feeling back into her fingers. "Where are we?" she asked with a smile, which Izzy echoed.

"The end of the line," he answered as the two girls raced to the door. Martha reached it first, gripping the handle excitedly. "No place like it."

Martha gave him a questioning nod, as if asking permission. He nodded in return, eyebrows high. She opened the door and rushed out, Izzy fast behind her. Martha's expression dimmed substantially when she recognized her own flat. Izzy's own excited grin gained a hint of confusion, not understanding why their next adventure would start in someone's room.

"Home," Martha said with a frown as the Doctor entered the room next to Izzy, "you took me home."

"Wait, this is our Earth, our time?" Izzy asked, frowning as well.

"Back to the morning after we left. So you've only been gone about twelve hours, no time at all really." He perused her room as Martha spoke.

"But all the stuff we've done? Shakespeare, New New York, Old New York?"

"Yep," he turned away from her childhood photos, "all in one night. Relatively speaking, everything should be just as it was, books, CDs," he picked up a pair of panties from her drying rack, "laundry." Martha snatched it away with wide, embarrassed eyes.

"So, back where you where, as promised. Well, not exactly. Izzy," he turned to the slightly frowning Irish girl, "you can find your way from here, yes? I figured since you two were together when I found you…"

Izzy flipped a hand, "Oh, yeah, home. Can't wait to get back." Her voice hinted heavily of sarcasm. "So this is really it?"

"Yeah," he shifted on his toes, avoiding her eyes. "I should probably, umm—"

A trilling sound interrupted him and they all turned to the message machine. "_Hi, I'm out, leave a message!"_ came Martha's cheery recorded voice.

"I'm sorry," Martha shook her head apologetically.

"_Martha? Are you there?"_ Francine Jones spoke through the machine, "_Pick it up will you."_

"It's Mum," Martha explained. "I'll wait."

"_Alright then, pretend you're out if you like." _The time-travelers shared a laugh. "_I was only calling to say your sister's on TV, on the news of all things_." Martha grabbed the remote, surprised and curious. She flipped it on. "_Just thought you might be interested."_

Tish stood stiffly next to a very old, wizened man speaking into the news microphones. "_The details are top secret…"_

"How did Tish end up on the news?" Izzy asked.

"…_I will tell you that tonight…"_

Martha tapped the remote against her lips. "She got a new job in PR, some research lab."

"_...with the push of a single button,"_ the man beside Tish lifted an index finger, "_I will change what it means to be human."_

Martha flipped off the screen. "Sorry, you were saying, we should…"

The Doctor's eyes were still glued to the dark screen, looking to Izzy more than a little interested. He took a long breath and pulled himself away. "Yes, yes, we should." He leaned a hand against the TARDIS doorframe, looking down at his two companions. "One trip, that's what we said."

"Yeah," Martha leaned against the wooden ship, gazing into his eyes, "I guess things just kind of escalated."

"Hmm," he nodded, catching Izzy's eye. She had stood a small distance from their much closer interactions, feeling as if she was left out of the final goodbyes. He always had a way of drawing her back in, however, and she found herself leaning slightly closer to him. "That seems to happen to me a lot."

There was a satisfied pause. "Thank you," Martha said sincerely.

Izzy locked eyes with the Doctor. "For everything."

His face was all soft kindness. "It was my pleasure." He opened the door and slipped in, leaving Izzy and Martha to stare at the empty space he left.

The TARDIS's sound began and the breeze in Martha's room picked up. Blinking hard, Martha and Izzy stepped away as the big blue box began to fade from their lives. The sounds topped and they turned away, sharing a look of disappointment and exhaustion.

Suddenly the _whoosh_ing started again and they turned, squinting to the place the TARDIS had been. The blue was rapidly rematerializing, as were their smiles.

The Doctor leaned through the open door, shaking his head. "No, I'm sorry. Did he say he was going to change what it means to be human?"

XXXXXXXX

"Oh, black tie," the Doctor groaned. "You know, whenever I wear this something bad always happens." He wore a slim black tuxedo, complete with a rather spiffy bow-tie.

"I don't think that's the outfit," Izzy retorted, "that's just you." She herself wore a knee-length flow-y number; the midnight blue material formed an A-line bust with a single lightly ruffled strap extending over her left shoulder, meeting the back of the dress again just below her shoulder blade. The fabric clung to her small waist but flowed out elegantly in fluid ruffles past her hips and to her knees, much the same as Martha's dress. Martha had found her halter-top dress in her closet; Izzy was made to search through the TARDIS's rather extensive costume collection. It was curious how many feminine clothes ended up in a male-owned ship.

"Anyway," the Irish girl continued, tucking a loose strand of hair back into its chignon, "I think it suits you. In a James Bond-y sort of way."

"James Bond?" The Doctor sounded insulted, and Izzy fully expected a wordy reprimand. "Really?" Now he sounded like he was considering it. Martha and Izzy shared a short laugh before they walked across the street.

Izzy looked up, following the grand stone pillars. "LAZARUS LABORATORIES," read the impressive building in front of them. Flashing lights could be seen in the upper floors. _What could this old man have done to deserve such attention?_

XXXXXXXX

"Oh, look, they got nibbles!" The Doctor's expression filled with child-like glee as he picked up several tasters from a tray moving past. "I love nibbles." He tossed one back just as Tish approached.

"Hello!" She tapped Martha on the shoulder.

"Tish!" Martha cried, giving her an affectionate one armed hug.

"You look great!" her sister complimented. She caught sight of Izzy and moved in for a hug from her as well. "You, too, Izzy. It's nice to see you again so soon. So," she looked around the room, "what'd you think? Impressive, isn't it?

"Very," Martha nodded vigorously.

"And to nights out in a row for you, that's dangerously close to a social life," Tish poked.

"If I keep this up I'll be in all the gossip columns," Martha joked. Izzy smiled, and had to stifle her giggles with her hand when she glanced up at the Doctor's bulging cheeks as he stuffed himself with his "nibbles."

"You might, actually!" Tish said conspiratorially. "Keep an eye out for photographers. And Mum, she's coming too, even Leo."

"Leo in black tie," Martha's eyes widened and Izzy guessed it wasn't a common occurrence, "now that I must see." Tish's eyes continued to flick to the Doctor, signifying the need for an introduction.

"This is the Doctor," Martha introduced and the Doctor transferred the food to the other hand to shake hers.

"Hello."

Tish smiled, but it was suddenly much less friendly. "Is he with you?" she asked Martha, "He's not on the list, how'd he get in?"

"He's my plus one," replied Martha tentatively.

"Wait a minute," Tish turned to Izzy looking confused, "you're not on the list either. How'd you get in?"

Izzy was about to make up a quick story when the Doctor interrupted her open mouth. Evidently he wanted to save her the trouble of explaining away psychic paper.

"So this Lazarus, he's your boss?"

Tish's smile was fake. "Professor Lazarus, yes, I'm part of his executive staff."

"She's in the PR department," Martha explained away, thinking her sister was playing it up.

"I'm head of the PR department, actually."

"You're joking," Martha tilted her head in disbelief.

"I put this whole thing together," Tish affirmed.

"So do you know what he's doing tonight? That looks like it might be a sonic microfield manipulator." He pointed back to a large white machine center-stage.

"He's a science geek, I should've known," Tish said knowingly to Martha. Izzy guessed it was another jab at Martha's social life. "I've got to get back to work now, I'll catch up to you later." She walked off and Martha stared after her.

"Science geek, what does that mean?" The Doctor asked, clueless.

"Just that you're impressively enthusiastic about science," Izzy supplied with a wry smile.

"Oh, that's nice," The Doctor threw another nibble back with a grin, completely unaware of the negative social connotation.

Izzy just shook her head and laughed. "Good thing for you that you never went to high school." They moved to closer inspect the large machine on display.

"Martha!" came a call from behind. They turned, and Martha practically threw herself at her mother.

"Mum!"

Francine accepted her hug with some surprise. "Alright, what's the occasion?"

"What's you mean? I'm just pleased to see you that's all."

"You saw me last night."

"I know! I just," Martha held her mother's hands, "missed you."

"Hello again, Mrs. Jones," Izzy extended a hand and a smile to Martha's mother.

"Oh, hello, Izzy! Very nice to see you again," Francine smiled and returned the hand, clearly approving of Martha's new friend. Her face grew a mix of embarrassed and regretful, "I am sorry about last night."

Izzy made quick assurances of gratitude, satisfying the older woman. Unfortunately, she turned her suddenly suspicious gaze upon Martha. "You disappeared last night."

"I," Martha shrugged, "just went home."

"On your own?" Her unsubtle eyes shifted to the Doctor as she spoke, "Or with Izzy?"

"This is a friend of ours," Martha switched smoothly, pointing to the tall man, "the Doctor."

"The Doctor what?" Francine titled her head.

"Just the Doctor," Izzy affirmed with an open smile.

"We've been doing some work together," Martha explained as the Doctor shook Leo's hand.

"Lovely to meet you Mrs. Jones," the Doctor charmed, shaking her hand as well, "I've heard a lot about you."

"Have you?" she looked severely unimpressed. "What've you heard, then?"

The Doctor nearly froze as he struggled to think of anything to get him out of the trap. "Oh, you know, that you're Martha's mother. And," he looked to Martha, stumped. She offered no help, "um—no actually that's about it. Haven't had much time to chat. Been busy." Izzy had to tighten her lips to hide the smile forming at his bumbling answers.

"Busy? Doing what, exactly?" Francine seemed to sense that she had caught him.

He glanced at Izzy pleadingly but the corners of her mouth only rose tremblingly higher. He almost frightfully locked eyes again with Mrs. Jones. "Oh, you know, stuff."

Martha looked embarrassedly up at him, but he was saved from more interrogation by the dimming of the lights. Izzy glimpsed his face before the shadows hid his face, and his relief was almost tangible. She shook her head with a smile as he met her gaze with wide eyes.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Professor Richard Lazarus," the audience turned to the elderly man with now blank, respectful faces, "and tonight, I am going to perform a miracle." Cameras flashed around him. "It is, I believe, the most important advance since Rutherford split the atom, the biggest leap since Armstrong stood on the moon. Tonight, you will watch and wonder; tomorrow, you will awake to a world which shall be changed forever."

The audience was sufficiently awed and more than a little curious as the hunched man opened the door of the machine. The device made a hissing buzz as it powered up and the black suit was finally cut off from view. Lab techs flipped switches on the control panel and then suddenly there was a bright blue light blinding the audience. Izzy flinched and shaded her eyes but saw that the Doctor only squinted stoically.

The four vertical poles around the main pod began to spin individually, and then the entire apparatus. Only the pod stayed in place as the blue light flashed on and off and the floor began to shake with the movement of the machine.

Electric pulses began to climb up the field that was created by the spinning outer poles. A loud, worrying warning sound began and the Doctor looked at the main controls in concern.

"Something's wrong. It's overloading," he warned just before the machinery began emitting large sparks. The Doctor ran to the now-smoking control panel, leaping over the wide counter. The guests backed away, huddling close to friends in fear of the malfunctioning machine.

"Somebody stop him!" cried an elderly lady to Izzy's right. "Get him away from those controls!"

"This thing blows up, it'll take the whole building with it! Is that what you want?" The Doctor shouted over the noise. The electrical ball at the top of the machine began breaking up and cascading over the pod. At the same time, the Doctor flung himself back over the counter and to the back of a large computer device. He ripped out a thick silver cord and the machine began to slow to a stop.

When the machine calmed enough to approach it, Izzy ran to the door. She met the handle just as the Doctor yelled, "Get it open!" She yanked it with a grunt and stepped back as vapor billowed out. The Doctor stood on the other side of the door and waited for it to clear. A suited figure could be seen rising, and the man grabbed the door frame for support. As his face emerged, the entire crowd looked on in wonderment.

A much younger man stood, carefully touching his hair and face. He straightened. Cameras flashed around him. He stepped out, down the white steps. "Ladies and gentlemen," he spread his arms wide, "I am Richard Lazarus, I am seventy-six years old, and I am reborn!" The crowd, minus the time-travelers, erupted into claps and cheers.

XXXXXXX

Martha stared in suspicious disbelief at the man soaking up the attention of the reporters. "That can't be the same guy. It's impossible, it must be a trick."

"Oh, it's not a trick," the Doctor corrected from behind her and Izzy. "I wish it were."

"What just happened then?" Izzy looked to him. "If everything went so wrong, how did he turn out like this?"

"I don't know," the Doctor narrowed his eye in thought. "He just changed what it means to be human."

The old woman, who earlier had commanded the Doctor to stop, approached Lazarus. Izzy watched as they exchanged words and smiles. The Professor did not seem nearly as pleased to be talking to her as she was to be talking to him. Suddenly the man grimaced and felt his neck. A waiter passed by and he grabbed the service dish from her, stuffing his face with the appetizers while the woman looked on in astonishment. The Doctor and his companions chose then to near him.

"Richard!" the woman admonished.

"I'm famished!" he licked his fingertips.

"Energy deficit," the Doctor came around him to his other side, Izzy and Martha trailing behind. "Always happens in this kind of process."

Lazarus gave him full attention. "You talk as if you see this every day, Mister…"

"Doctor," the Time Lord supplied. "And no, not every day, but I have some experience with this kind of transformation."

"That's not possible," Lazarus assured smugly.

"Using hyper-sonic sound waves to create a state of resonance," the Doctor rattled off. "That's inspired!"

"You understand the theory then."

"Enough to know that you couldn't possibly have allowed for all the variables." His face was scrutinizing.

"No experiment is without risk," the de-aged man popped a nibble into his mouth.

"That thing nearly exploded," the Doctor reminded. "You might as well have stepped into a blender."

"You're not qualified to comment!" objected the old woman.

"If I hadn't stopped it, it would've exploded," the Doctor seemed amazed at her stubbornness.

"Then I thank you, Doctor. That's a simple engineering issue. What happened inside the capsule was exactly what was supposed to happen. No more, no less."

"You have no way of knowing that," Izzy shook her head.

"Not until you've run proper tests!" Martha finished, hand on hip.

"Look at me!" Lazarus scoffed. "You can see what happened. I'm all the proof you need."

The woman, Izzy guessed his partner, played smug as well. "The device will be properly certified before we start to operate commercially."

"Commercially? You are joking," objected Martha, closest to her, "that'll cause chaos!"

"Not chaos," Lazarus assured calmly, "change; a chance for humanity to evolve, to improve."

"This isn't about improving this is about your customers living a little longer," the Doctor said angrily.

"Not a little, Doctor." He raised his eyebrows, "A lot longer. Perhaps indefinitely."

"Richard," the woman interrupted, "we have things to discuss. Upstairs." She left and Lazarus began to follow.

"Goodbye Doctor." He stopped and turned to the travelers. "In a few years, you'll look back and laugh at how wrong you were." He reached out to shake Martha's hand. Tentatively, she offered it and he lifted it to his lips. "You won't be able to keep beautiful women around you forever with an aging face." He gave a lingering look to Izzy before he turned and she understood that mentally he was giving her a kiss as well. Her eyes followed him with a measure of disgust.

"Oh, he's out of his depth," the Doctor groaned, "he's no idea the kind of damage he could've done."

"So what do we do now?" Izzy asked, the disgusted look still lingering.

"Now," the Doctor took a deep breath, "well, this building must be full of laboratories; I say that we do our own tests."

Martha gave him a satisfied smile and lifted her hand. "Lucky I've just collected a DNA sample then, isn't it?"

"Oh," the Doctor grinned widely, "Martha Jones, you're a star." He led his companions off by their elbows.

XXXXXXXXX

Their faces shone in the light of the computer screen. "Amazing," the Doctor remarked, brainy specs on.

"What?" Martha asked.

"Lazarus's DNA."

"I can't see anything different," Izzy reported, unsure if she was meant to.

"Look at it!" The scan suddenly pulsed and Izzy saw a few codons flicker and change.

"Oh my God," Martha exclaimed, "did that just change?" The Doctor nodded excitedly. "But it couldn't have," Martha denied.

"But it did," Izzy observed, staring closer at the screen for more changes.

"That's impossible," Martha said stubbornly.

"And that's two impossible things we've seen so far tonight," he looked to them with a smile. "Don't you love it when that happens?"

Izzy smiled and rolled her eyes but Martha continued seriously. "That means Lazarus has changed his own molecular patterns."

"Hypersonic sound waves to destabilize the cell structure then a metagenic program to manipulate the coding in the protein structure. Basically, he hacked into his own genes and restructured them to rejuvenate."

Izzy raised her finger. "First, I actually understood all of that, which is new for me," the Doctor threw her a crinkly smile, "Second, wouldn't this scan mean his DNA is still mutating now?"

"He missed something," the Doctor mused. "Something in his DNA has been activated and won't let him stabilize. Something's trying to change him."

"Change him into what?" Martha questioned.

"I don't know. But I think we need to find out."

"That woman said they were going upstairs," Izzy supplied.

"Let's go!"

XXXXXXX

The lift doors opened smoothly to a large, dark room. Stepping out, Martha reached for a switch on the wall. The lights illuminated the room but did nothing to change the stark, unfeeling atmosphere to the space.

"This is his office all right," Martha mused.

"So where is he?" Izzy looked about.

"Dunno. Let's try back at the…" Martha trailed off with a curious look on her face, "reception." The look turned to horror and Izzy followed her line of vision. Two heel-clad skeleton legs stuck out from behind the desk. The Doctor had already started towards them when Izzy followed.

An entire body was revealed, dressed in a sequined, sensible dress. Martha gasped. "Is that Lady Thaw?" The leathery skin was pulled taught over the thin bones of the Lady, making her look near mummified.

"Used to be," the Doctor ran his eyes over the dead woman's body. "Now it's just a shell. Had all the life energy drained out of her." He looked up to his companions, "Like squeezing the juice out of an orange."

Izzy rocked back in her kneeling position, screwing her face up in distaste. "Alright, that was a bit much. Is it Lazarus?"

"Could be," the Doctor allowed.

"So he's changed already?" Martha asked in hushed tones.

"Not necessarily. You saw the DNA, it was fluctuating. The process must demand energy," the Doctor realized. "This might not have been enough."

"So he might do this again?" Izzy looked horrified. The Doctor merely shrugged, thinking.

Martha ran to the elevators again, quickly followed by Izzy and the Doctor, who rapidly pushed the button to call a lift. The doors opened and the company filed in with an extreme sense of urgency. Izzy pressed the button for the first floor.

XXXXXXX

They ran into the crowd, who remained unaware of the danger of their unstable host.

"Can't see him," Martha stretched over the heads of the guests.

"Can't be far, keep looking," the Doctor pressed, his long strides carrying him ahead of the women.

"Hey, you alright Martha?" Leo called from their left. Martha stopped and Izzy paused a few feet away, looking over the crowd but still keeping an ear out for Martha's conversation. "I think Mum wants to talk to you."

"Have you seen Lazarus anywhere?" Martha asked, slightly out of breath.

"Yeah, he was getting cozy with Tish a couple of minutes ago."

"With Tish!" Martha said to the Doctor and Izzy, who joined the conversation just as Mrs. Jones approached.

"Ah, Doctor—," she seemed ready for another interrogation.

"Where did they go?" he interrupted urgently.

"Upstairs I think," Leo answered, puzzled.

"Doctor!" The Doctor pushed past Francine, spilling her champagne. Izzy and Martha raced after him towards the lift. "I'm speaking to you!"

"Not now Mum," Martha hissed back.

The elevator ride was tense and the Doctor tersely muttered under his breath about the slow pace. When it stopped at Lazarus's office he shoved himself out the doors before they were even half-way open.

"Where are they?" Martha panicked.

The Doctor pulled his sonic out of his pocket. "Fluctuating DNA will give off an energy signature; I might be able to pick it up." The sonic started beeping, which grew louder and closer together as he rotated. He pointed to the ceiling, "Got it!"

"But this is the top floor!" Martha said.

"The roof!" Izzy exclaimed almost before she finished speaking.

XXXXXXXX

"… between the idea and the reality, between the motion and the act—" Lazarus was quoting to Tish as they stood overlooking the view of London.

"—falls the shadow," the Doctor finished ominously, standing a safe distance behind him. Izzy and Martha stood in a line beside him, watching the scientist intently for any signs of change.

"So the mysterious Doctor knows his Elliot," Lazarus smirked. "I'm impressed."

Tish turned to their visitors. "Martha, what're you doin' here?"

"Tish, get away from him," her sister warned.

"What?" she defended, "Don't tell me what to do."

"I thought you wouldn't have time for poetry Lazarus," the Doctor squinted, ignoring the separate conversation. "What with you busy defying the laws of nature and everything."

"You're right, Doctor," the man admitted. "One lifetime's been too short for me to do everything I'd like. How much more I'd get done in two, or three," he smiled, "or four."

The Doctor shook his head. "Doesn't work like that. Some people live more in twenty years than others do in eighty. It's not the time that matters, it's the person."

"But if it's the right person," Lazarus started. "What a gift that would be."

"Or what a curse," the Doctor said feelingly. "Look at what you've done to yourself."

"Who are you to judge me?" the professor's face grew hard again.

"Come here, Tish," Martha beckoned. Tish complied, arms crossed.

"You have to spoil everything don't you?" she said bitterly. "Every time I find someone nice you have to try and find fault." Behind her Lazarus began to writhe and flex, transforming.

"Tish, he's a monster!" Izzy cut in, her eyes never leaving Lazarus's collapsed and growing body.

Tish addressed both women now. "I know the age thing's a bit freaky but it works for Catherine Zeta-Jones." Lazarus, or rather the thing that was Lazarus, began making terrible noises, and finally Tish turned. Her eyes followed the horrible thing as it grew and rose to a monster that towered high above even the Doctor, who watched with a mildly surprised expression. "What is that?" she asked, stepping back.

The giant scorpion-skeleton thing lifted its head, revealing a stretched human face that vaguely resembled Lazarus.

"Run!" the Doctor shouted turning Izzy beside him to the exit. The women barely needed encouragement as they rushed back through the roof access and clattered down the stairs in their heels. The Doctor paused to lock the door behind them with the sonic, but it sounded as if it wouldn't last long.

They raced through the office floor to the lift, frantically pressing the call button that never worked fast enough.

"Are you okay?" Martha asked Tish breathlessly.

Tish looked like she was in shock. "I was about to snog him."

They looked fearfully towards the roof door as the sounds of Lazarus pounding against it grew louder. It must have triggered something because the next thing the company was looking to the now-dark ceiling lights.

An alarm started and back-up lights came on. "Security 1," an automated voice repeated amidst the alarm.

"What's happening?" Izzy asked as she looked around the darkened hall.

"An intrusion," Tish struggled, "it triggers a security lockdown, kills most of the power, stops the lifts, seals the exits."

"He must be breaking through that door," the Doctor concluded. The sound came again, louder than ever. "The stairs, come on!"

They rushed down the stairwell, holding the railing with both hands to allow stability in their breakneck speed. A crash sounded just as Izzy reached the second landing. "He's inside!"

"We haven't got much time!" the Doctor shouted back, continuing down to the first floor.

XXXXXXX

The crowd talked amongst themselves nervously. "Tish, is there another way out of here?" The Doctor called, scanning the walls.

"There's an exit in the corner but it'll be locked now," Tish said, joining him with Izzy and Martha.

The Doctor tossed the sonic to Martha as she was closest to the exit. "Martha, setting 54. Hurry." As Martha took off he ran up to the machine, calling attention to himself.

"Listen to me! You people are in serious danger!" Most guests looked at him like he was crazy as he pointed to the exit Martha and Tish were trying to open. "You need to get out of here right now!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" a woman in a gold dress objected. "The biggest danger here is choking on an olive."

Glass shattered from the floor above. Lazarus came into view, giving off a sort of roar as he rose threateningly.

People froze in shock until Izzy ran up to the Doctor's position. "Is that danger enough for you? Run!" she shouted, pointing to the door. People began screaming in panic as Lazarus launched off the balcony and into the main reception, roaring impressively.

The screaming guests piled up at the exit Martha was struggling to open. Finally the automatic doors slipped to the side, offering no more resistance.

"Over here!" Martha shouted over the panic. "This way! Everyone down the stairs now, hurry!"

"Mum get back!" Lazarus tossed a table with his tail towards Martha's remaining family, hitting Leo. Crying out, Mrs. Jones ran to him. Fortunately for them, the monster had turned his attention to a different victim; the woman in the gold dress who had not believed the Doctor earlier. The woman stood frozen in fear as Lazarus neared her with his tail.

"No! Get away from her!" The Doctor shouted at the monster. Izzy, who was standing on the device beside the Doctor and had been looking towards the escaping guests, now turned at the Doctors yell, just in time to see Lazarus's forked-tongue-tail pierce the woman and drain her of all life. The dried husk tumbled to the floor, her scream cut off forever.

Not nearly sated, Lazarus turned back towards Francine and Leo. His eyes moved over Izzy and the Doctor blindly, so intense was his hunger. As he moved in for the kill, the Doctor stepped down from the device, hiding Izzy protectively behind his back.

"Lazarus!" he called. "Leave them alone!" The monster turned his full attention on the Doctor. Izzy looked out from behind the Doctor's arm to see Martha help her scared but relieved family up and to the exit. "What's the point? You can't control it, the mutation's too strong." Lazarus approached them ominously as the Doctor taunted, "Killing those people won't help you. You're a fool." The Doctor nudged Izzy farther behind him, his tense hand in hers warning her to be ready to run. "A vain old man who though he could defy Nature. Only Nature got her own back, didn't she? You're a joke, Lazarus!" he shouted as the monster reared up in anger, "A footnote in the history of failure!"

He backed up out of range, squeezing Izzy's hand tightly. "Run," he hissed, then turned and ran for the hallway out of the reception room, holding Izzy's hand until the first turn. Letting go, the two travelers went into a full sprint, Izzy slightly behind the Doctor. She let out a short squeak as Lazarus slammed into the first corner and the Doctor looked behind him to see the monster crawl up the walls to chase them on the ceiling. The Doctor reached back to grab Izzy's hand again, willing her to follow more closely.

XXXXXXXX

They wove slowly through the pipes of the maintenance area, looking about them warily. The door clattered and squeaked open and the sound of panting echoed in the steamy, dank room. The Doctor kept his companion close behind him as they moved through the piping.

"It's no good, Doctor," came a raspy voice, and Izzy jumped slightly. The Doctor brushed her hand lightly for comfort. "You can't stop me."

"Is that the same arrogance you had when you swore nothing had gone wrong with your device?" the Doctor called, trying to pinpoint where Lazarus was, Izzy all-the-while worrying that Lazarus was doing the same to them.

"The arrogance is yours. You can't stand in the way of progress," Lazarus ended with an almost sing-song tone.

The Doctor and Izzy ducked low. Angered by the monster's conceit, Izzy shouted back. "You call killing innocents progress? You're delusional!" The Doctor whipped around to her shock and put a hand over her mouth to keep her from drawing more attention to herself.

"Ah, so your companion has beauty as well as a tongue. You'd better keep her close, Doctor." There were clangs as Lazarus brushed against pipes. He returned to the topic with a more serious hiss, "It is a necessary sacrifice."

The Doctor pulled his hand away from her mouth, moving it to hold her hand. "That's not your decision to make."

The lights came on as they reached the end of the maze of pipes. Lazarus's rasp came from above them. "Pekaboo," the monster teased.

"Oh," the Doctor said faintly as they slowly crane their heads back, "hello."

Lazarus snarled and the Doctor took off to the exit, dragging Izzy behind him as she nearly stumbled in her heels. They ran through the door to a passage identical to the one they entered from.

XXXXXXXX

"What can you do in here?" Izzy asked as they ran through the rows of lab tables. Brilliantly-colored liquid filled beakers of every shape and size, covering nearly every inch of the countertop.

After shushing her, the Doctor moved a few beakers and other instruments to stand on the table attached to a large support pillar. Opening a fire alarm-like device on the side of it, he fiddled with its wires, occasionally looking back to the hall as the sound of Lazarus grew louder.

There was a crash, making Izzy's head whip to the entrance. Lazarus had reached the door and was pounding hard at it. The Doctor finished his meddling and leaped down from the counter.

"Izzy, come over the table. Turn as many gas valves on as you can." Izzy hurried to comply, sliding up and over the smooth back surface, flipping the knobs to open as soon as she landed. Across the row, the Doctor did the same.

Suddenly the door clattered, and without looking Izzy knew it was down. The Doctor grabbed and pulled her down next to him, ducking behind the counter.

Lazarus growled. "More hide-and-seek, Doctor? How disappointing."

The Doctor moved down the rows, reaching subtly over the tables to flip on more gas valves. Izzy followed his example and the sound of hissing gas multiplied. The moved back another row away from the door as the sound of shattering glass reached them.

"Why don't you come out and face me?" Lazarus challenged.

The Doctor and Izzy leaned against the cabinets underneath. He pointed to the exit urgently and she understood that he wanted her to make a run for it. "Have you looked in the mirror lately?" He stood with Izzy, nudging her closer to the exit. "Why would I want face that, hmm?" They took off, the Doctor pushing Izzy ahead of him the entire way. As Izzy pushed through the swinging door, he flipped a light switch, igniting the methane gas and causing an explosion that knocked both time travelers forward.

Not quite expecting that large of an explosion, Izzy fell to the ground hard. The Doctor threw himself on top of her, covering her as much as he could from any debris. Thankfully there was none, but Izzy knew she would end up with plenty of bruises—if she lived through the night.

"Fire-y death? Really?" she groaned as the Doctor frantically helped her up and checked her over for injuries. "You couldn't have waited until we were farther away?"

He smiled a little as she rearranged her dress to form again. "If he made it, I don't want us to be around to find out." Izzy nodded wryly and they took off down the white-wash hall.

XXXXXXX

They were just about to round another corner when suddenly Martha nearly crashed into the Doctor. He grabbed her shoulders in shock and Izzy caught her breath.

"What're you doing here?"

Martha held up the sonic with a smile. "I'm returning this. I thought you might need it."

He grabbed it from her, tucking it safely in his top pocket, "How did you—"

"I heard the explosion," she answered before he finished. "I guessed it was you."

He let go of her shoulders. "We blasted Lazarus," he explained, reminding Martha of Izzy's presence.

"Did you kill him?"

"Doctor!" Izzy warned as Lazarus squeezed out of the hallway.

He and Martha watched as the monster leapt across the small hole in the floor, crashing through the glass railing. "More sort of annoyed him, I'd say!" he responded, grabbing both Izzy and Martha away from the direction of Lazarus.

They sprinted down and out of the hallway, entering the reception area and slowing to a stop.

"What now?" Martha cried. "We've just gone 'round in a circle!"

Lazarus crashed into the room. "We can't let him outside!" Izzy shouted.

The Doctor lunged for the device, opening the capsule doors. "Come on, get in!" Izzy and Martha rushed in and he climbed into the cramped space as well, closing the door just as Lazarus slid towards them.

"Oh," Izzy gasped as the Doctor's body pressed flush against her. Martha panted from behind the Doctor, her face pushed into his back. He resituated as much as he could— turning himself nearly sideways—but even in their new almost triangle formation their tight-pressed shoulders still kept him mostly facing Izzy.

"Are we hiding?" Martha asked.

The Doctor fortunately could now turn his head to see her. "No, he knows we're here, but this is his masterpiece. I'm betting he won't destroy it, not even to get at us."

"So were trapped," Izzy deadpanned.

"Well, yeah, that's a slight problem."

"You mean you don't have a plan?" Martha pressed.

"Yes," he looked down at her, "the plan was to get inside here."

"And_ after_ that?" Izzy asked, calling his attention.

"Well," he paused uncomfortably, "then I'd come up with another plan."

"In your own time, then," Martha said sarcastically. The snarling from Lazarus grew more agitated.

The Doctor reached into his pocket for his sonic, his arm pressing against Izzy neck and his elbow into Martha's cheek. "Hey!" Martha protested. Izzy just gave him a glare.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry." He pulled out the tool. "Ah, here we are."

"What're you going to do with that in here?" Izzy questioned. The Doctor started to lower himself, watching her as he grew shorter.

"Improvise." The women shuffled as much as they could so that he would have space between their legs. He popped up a square panel as Martha talked.

"I still don't understand where that thing came from. Is it alien?"

The sonic _whirr_ed. "No, for once it's strictly human in origin."

"Human, how can it be human?" she exclaimed.

"Probably dormant genes in his DNA," Izzy mused.

"Exactly," the Doctor smiled up at the girl before looking back to the wires. "The energy field in this thing must've reactivated them. Now it looks like they're becoming dominant."

Martha watched the shadows of Lazarus around them. "So it's a throwback."

"Some option that evolution rejected for you millions of years ago. But the potential is still there, locked away in your genes, forgotten about," he looked up at them, "until Lazarus unlocked it by mistake."

"Like Pandora's box."

"Exactly," he looked up at them, "You both have very nice taste in shoes, by the way." Martha looked down at her Mary-Jane's and Izzy at her strappy ones in bemusement.

There suddenly was a high pitch whine and the greenish lights in the capsule came on

"Doctor, what's happening?" Martha asked with an edge of panic creeping into her voice.

"He's switched the machine on," Izzy answered for him.

"And that's not good is it?" Martha held the walls as the small pod began to shake.

"Well, I was hoping it would take him a little bit longer to work that out." The sonic _whirr_ed frantically.

Izzy blinked away the spots left by the bright light just as another flash created new ones. "Doctor, I don't want to rush you, but—"

"I know, I know!" he interrupted. "Nearly done."

"Well, what're you doing?" Martha shouted over the growing whine of the machine.

"I'm trying to set the capsule to reflect energy rather than receive it."

"And will that kill him?" Izzy shouted her question.

"When he transforms he's three times the size—cellular triplication—so he's spreading himself thin."

"We're going to end up like him!" Martha cried. Izzy screwed up her face in dread.

"Just one more!" He pulled a final wire and the whine came to a peak. There was a crashing sound from outside and then nothing more. The whine was gone as if it had never existed, leaving Izzy's ears ringing with silence. The capsule had stilled and slowly the Doctor rose again. Pressed tightly against it in the small space, he opened the door and his companions each took full, uncompressed breaths in. There was a hiss of hydraulics and the Doctor stepped out, followed by Izzy and then Martha, who still looked a bit shaken up.

"I thought we we're going to go through the blender then," she breathed in relief.

"It really shouldn't take that long just to reverse the polarity." He stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I must be a bit out of practice."

He stepped off the small platform and to the left, where there lay a prone and naked Lazarus, young and untransformed.

"Oh God," Martha remarked as she neared, "he seems so…"

"Human," Izzy finished. "It's sort of pitiful."

"Eliot saw that, too." The Doctor looked at her with far-away eyes. "'This is the way the world ends—not with a bang, but a whimper.'" The words echoed around in her head as they waited for the medics to reach the pitiable man's body.

XXXXXXX

They followed the stretcher down the red carpeted steps, the Doctor undoing his bowtie and staring after the body.

"… Oh she's alright." Tish came running up to Martha, arms wide open, Leo and Francine following. Martha pulled Tish into a hug as Francine strode determinedly towards the Time Lord.

"Oh, Mrs. Jones, we still haven't finished our chat," the Doctor started smilingly.

"Doctor—" Izzy tried to warn, but she was interrupted by the sharp cracking sound of a protective mother's slap. The Doctor held his cheek in shock and Izzy went to comfort the bewildered man.

"Stay away from my daughter," Mrs. Jones ground out.

"Mum, what're you doing?" Martha cried.

"All the mothers, every time," the Doctor mused, rubbing his cheek. Izzy nearly smiled beside him, but kept her eye on the tense situation.

"He is dangerous!" Francine was saying. "I've been told things." She whipped around to Izzy, index finger pointed threateningly at her face. "And you—you liar! I should report you to the police!"

Izzy backed up slightly and put up her hands in surrender as the Doctor and Martha looked at her in confusion. "Wait? What!"

Martha pulled her mother back. "What are you talking about?"

"Look around you!" Francine grabbed her daughter by the shoulders. "Nothing but death and destruction!"

Martha threw he mother's hands off. "That wasn't his fault! He saved us, all of us!"

"And it was Tish who invited everyone to this thing in the first place," Leo tried, "so I'd say, technically, it was her fault." Tish elbowed him and rolled her eyes.

Suddenly a far off but loud crash interrupted the scene. The Doctor took off down the sidewalk with Izzy following shortly behind. She looked back once to see Martha catching up. The trio stopped at the site of a crashed ambulance, the one that was supposed to be taking the professor to the morgue. The back doors were open, with one dried body resting against the frame and the other next to the stretcher.

"Lazarus—" the Doctor said when Martha had joined them, "back from the dead. Should've known really." He pulled out the sonic.

"Where's he gone?" Martha asked as Tish came up behind them.

The Doctor came full circle, pointing the beeping tool towards a large building. "That way," he nodded. "The church."

"Cathedral," Tish corrected, then almost looked sorry for it. "It's Southwark Cathedral. He told me."

XXXXXXXX

The beeping echoed lightly in the grand stone structure as they followed the Doctor through the pews.

"Do you think he's in here?" Izzy asked quietly.

"Where would you go if you were looking for sanctuary?" The Doctor responded seriously.

They continued to move through the pews, the women looking around cautiously while the Doctor stared straight ahead. They came to short steps and Izzy could hear a very human shivering and whimpering behind the pulpit. When they caught sight of Lazarus, the Doctor stopped, putting away his sonic. The man sat curled into himself, covered only with a scant red towel for warmth. His look towards them was unsurprised, nearly resigned.

"I came here before. A lifetime ago." The Doctor circled the man slowly. "I thought I was going to die then; in fact, I was sure of it. I sat here," he breathed heavily, "just a child. The sound of planes and bombs outside."

"The Blitz," said the Doctor, pausing.

"You've read about it," Lazarus blinked languidly.

"I was there."

Lazarus scoffed. "You're too young."

"So are you," the Doctor responded and Lazarus laughed. The professor was cut off in a gasp of pain as his bones continued cracking and mutating.

"In the morning the fires had died," he managed to choke out, "but I was still alive. I swore I'd never face death like that again. So defenseless." The Doctor came nearly full circle around him. "I would arm myself, fight back, defeat it."

"That's what you were trying to do today?"

"That's what I _did_ today," Lazarus corrected.

"What about the other people who died?" Izzy challenged angrily from outside the Doctor's circle.

Lazarus looked at her with a smirk and then at the Doctor. "They were nothing. I changed the course of history."

"Any of them might have done, too." The Doctor circled again. "You think history's only made with equations?" He paused somberly. "Facing death is part of being human. You can't change that."

"No, Doctor," the man spit out, following the Doctor with his eyes when the Time Lord began moving again. "Avoiding death—that's being human. It's our strongest impulse, to cling to life with every fiber of being. I'm only doing what everyone before me has tried to do." He smirked, "I've simply been more… successful." Again he was interrupted with a yell of pain and the sound of crunching bones stirred Izzy's stomach unpleasantly.

The Doctor's face was impassive as he stood by his companions again. "Look at yourself—you're mutating. You've no control over it. You call that a success?"

"I call it progress," Lazarus gasped and doubled over again. "I'm more now, than I was. More than just an ordinary human."

The Doctor shook his head lightly with a small smile. "There's no such thing as an ordinary human."

"He's going to change again any minute," Izzy whispered as the man crunched in pain.

"I know," he whispered and Martha leaned close as well. "If I could get him up into the bell tower somehow, I have an idea that might work."

"Up there?" Martha nodded.

"Uh-huh," the Doctor stepped away from them again.

Lazarus lifted his head. "You're so sentimental, Doctor," he said bitterly. "Maybe you _are_ older than you look."

"I'm old enough to know that a longer life isn't always a better one," he circled, "In the end, you just get tired—tired of the struggle, tired of losing everyone that matters to you," he stopped to crouch next to the man, "tired of watching everything turn to dust. If you live long enough, Lazarus, the only certainty left is that you'll end up alone."

"That's a price worth paying," the professor assured.

"Is it?"

Lazarus's bones crunched again and he cried out. When he settled, he looked almost smugly at the Doctor. "I will feed soon."

"I'm not gonna let that happen," the Time Lord shook his head calmly.

"You've not been able to stop me so far," he smiled.

Izzy looked up in surprise as Martha stepped away from their group. "Leave him, Lazarus. He's old and bitter," Izzy watched as the Doctor made to protest. "I thought you had a taste for fresher meat."

"Martha, no." The Doctor scolded just before Lazarus lunged. Martha turned and ran. Izzy was about to follow when she saw Tish run after her instead. With Lazarus still untransformed, she figured Martha and Tish were more than capable of handling him.

Instead, she ran to the Doctor. "They'll be leading him to the tower. Now what's this plan?"

"Find the organ," he ordered. They ran back to the center of the cathedral, Izzy scanning for the instrument while the Doctor looked higher.

"Where are they?" he groaned to himself as the snarling echoed. "Martha!"

"Doctor!" The woman in question leaned out of a large pane-less window a floor above.

"Take him to the top, the very top of the bell tower. Do you hear me?" He shouted up. Izzy found the archway leading to the organ chamber and sprinted to it. She could still hear Martha's echoing reply.

"Up to the top. Well then what?" A snarl interrupted the Doctor's answer and Izzy heard nothing more from her.

"Doctor!" Izzy called for the Time Lord, though it appeared to be needless because he ran up the small wooden steps merely seconds after she ended her breath. He slid onto the bench and pulled out his sonic, lengthening it with his teeth.

"Hypersonic sound waves," he smiled at her before placing the sonic into an amplifier port. "Inspired." He pulled knobs and pressed buttons, allowing the instrument to go as loud as it could.

Screams echoed from above them. "Doctor, you might want to hurry."

"Don't rush a master," the Doctor cracked his fingers to ready them. "I hope there's a good acoustic in here." He pressed his feet to the pedals as his fingers hit the first notes. The deep timbre echoed around them as crashing sounds continued above.

Screams came again as the Doctor's playing crescendo-ed. He leaned to Izzy, speaking over the music. "We need to turn this up to eleven. Take the keys!"

How he knew she played, she didn't know, and frankly lacked the time to ask. She continued his note as he tuned the sonic. Suddenly the music was louder and Izzy had to put her hands over her sensitive ears in pain. The Doctor thankfully picked up where she left off, pounding into the keys.

Izzy's face was screwed up against the throbbing music, but there was a loud crash and it stopped suddenly. She opened her eyes to see the Doctor leaning over the railing, looking down at a collapsed and broken Lazarus, human again. Izzy soaked in the silence as she leaned over as well, but it was broken by a short shriek.

It went quiet again and the Doctor and Izzy looked up to the tower they couldn't see. "Martha?" he called.

There was a worrying pause, but Martha shakily shouted back. "I'm okay! We're both okay!"

Izzy let her relief show in a smile, but the Doctor postponed his until he saw her face. He took off back down the steps to the main room, Izzy close behind.

XXXXXXX

Izzy could not unlock her eyes from the hauntingly unseeing ones of Lazarus. The Doctor knelt beside the body, but even without medical training Izzy knew the mutated man would not be moving again. The Doctor passed a hand over Lazarus's eyes. The spell broken, Izzy blinked, and in that moment Lazarus transformed back to his true age, his old eyes now closed forever.

Slowly the Doctor stood. Izzy heard the sound of heels hitting stone floor and started towards the direction of the bell tower stairs. The Doctor jogged ahead, reaching Martha first and giving her a tight hug.

"I didn't know you could play," Martha said when he released her.

"Oh well, you know, if you hang around with Beethoven you're bound to pick up a few things."

"Especially about playing loud," Martha joked.

"Sorry?" he said, cupping his ear a bit. Martha and Izzy laughed.

He suddenly turned to Izzy, pulling his hands out of his pockets again. "And Izzy! Izzy played as well." He pulled her into a hug. "You were brilliant," he said into her ear. She smiled up at him and linked her arm in his, and Martha in hers. Tish added on at Martha's side and they all breathed a sigh of relief, smiling.

XXXXXXX

The lock clicked and the door creaked open a crack. The Doctor leaned against the frame, facing Izzy and Martha. "Something else that just kind of escalated, then."

"There might be a pattern developing," Izzy joked.

Martha nodded. "You should definitely take more care in the future. And the past and whatever other time period you find yourself in."

The Doctor grinned. "It's been fun, though, hasn't it?"

"Yeah," Martha nodded heartily and Izzy gave a face-splitting smile.

"So what d'you say?" He looked between them, smiling. "One more trip?"

The women hesitated, sharing a cheerless look. "No," Izzy answered for them. "Sorry."

He looked as if he did not get that answer often. "What do you mean, I thought you liked it? The both of you," his face was carefully disappointed.

"I do," Martha answered first. "But I can't go on like this, 'one more trip.' That's not fair."

"To either of us," Izzy finished, her eyes lacking their usual cheer.

"What're you talking about?" The Doctor queried, very much acting the 'bloke.'

"I don't want to be just a passenger anymore, someone you take along for a treat." Martha said gloomily.

Izzy elbowed pointedly. "If you still see _us_ as the casual audience for your adventures, then _we'd_ rather stay here." Martha looked entirely unaffected by leaving Izzy out of her earlier sentiments.

The Doctor took a deep breath. "Okay, then. If that's what you want."

Martha looked up at him, offended, like she was expecting him to say different. "Right. Well we've already said goodbye once today. It's probably best if you just go." As Martha stepped away from the TARDIS, Izzy kept her eyes on the Doctor, turning over his words in her head.

Just as Martha turned around she realized his true meaning and couldn't stop the smile creeping onto her face. "Really?" she questioned, and he answered with a smile. She threw herself at him in a hug that he caught just in time and she could feel his chuckle. Her cry of "Thank you!" was muffled in his shoulder.

Martha watched them in astonishment and a twinge of jealousy. "What is it? What did you say to her?" Izzy untangled herself from him.

"I said okay," the Doctor said, his face turning puzzled.

"Sorry?"

He nodded towards the door this time. "Okay."

The jealousy slipped off her face as she realized what he meant. "Oh, thank you!" she pulled him into a hug as well, laughing. "Thank you!" In a burst of camaraderie she threw an arm around Izzy, who smiled freely back.

"Well," the Doctor started, "you were never just passengers, were you?" Martha climbed in first and The Doctor closed the door behind Izzy, rushing to the console.

As the TARDIS took off, Martha's machine rang once, ending with her recorded greeting. "_Hi, I'm out. Leave a message."_

The answering machine picked up and Mrs. Jones's worried voice came through. "_Martha, it's your mother. Please phone me back, I'm begging you. I know who this Doctor really is. And Izzy Brannen isn't who she seems. She's wanted by the government! They're dangerous. You're gonna get yourself killed. Please, trust me. This information comes from Harold Saxon himself. You're not safe!_"

XXXXXXXX

**A/N: Done! Finally. I hope you guys like this one, too. I thank you all for the favorites, it is always fun to get those, even without reviews. Remember, don't be afraid to point out typos as they come.**

**Until next time, Ellie**


	8. 42

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to their respective creators and their talented actors. Izzy is mine.

**I truly am so sorry for the delay. We just cancelled Netflix and school has been hell, so I was a bit cut off from my fan-crazy self. But no worries, I will be back. I had no idea anyone wanted to read this that much, but I have been proven wrong. I thank you for the lovely reviews and I promise the next update won't take so long; I already have it nearly done.**

XXXXXXXXX

The sonic pulsed loudly as the Doctor held it at Martha's phone. He came around the back of the phone's owner and the pulsing stopped.

"Ah, there we go—universal roaming." He came to the opposite side of console, tossing the phone to her. "Never have to worry about a signal again. Now yours Izzy," he put out a hand to the girl at his right.

"No way," Martha smiled while he worked with the sonic again. "That's too mad! You're telling me I can phone anyone, anywhere in space and time on my mobile?"

He handed the finished phone to Izzy, winking at them. "Long as you know the area code. Frequent flyers' privilege." He nodded to both of them. "Go on, try it."

Martha was just about to press the keypad when the TARDIS shook violently, knocking the passengers into the console and setting off the alarms. Martha and Izzy crouched down, holding onto the console for dear life.

The Doctor pulled up the flashing screen. "Distress signal. Locking on!" He reached his leg over the console, placing his foot on a lever directly in front of Izzy's face. "Might be little bit of—" The TARDIS shook one more time, throwing her passengers off the console this time, and the Doctor's foot into Izzy's chest, "turbulence. Sorry," He finished.

Izzy rubbed her chest where his shoe made contact. "Well, it would've been nice to warn us about turbulence _before_ you flip the switch that causes turbulence."

He helped her up with an apologetic smile. "I'll remember that next time. For now, come on. Martha!" He pulled Izzy to the door, not waiting for Martha to follow. "Let's take a look."

The door opened and they stepped out into a heat-tinted maintenance-like room filled with steam. "Whoa," the Doctor exclaimed, "now that is hot!"

"_Automated distress signal transmitting,_" a recorded voice repeated.

"I gotta get out of this," Izzy said as she shed her tan cardigan, revealing a white lace thinly-strapped corset-style top. She immediately wished she had worn shorts instead of light-wash jeans and tan leather knee-high boots. She watched as Martha came out and reacted much the same.

"Oh! It's like a sauna in here!" She peeled off her cardigan as well.

"Venting systems," the Doctor said, looking at the piping. "Working at full pelt, trying to cool down," he straightened, "uh, wherever it is we are. Well," he walked to the door, "if you can't stand the heat—" The door hissed open and he stuck his head out. "Well, that's better."

Izzy and Martha stepped out after him. "Not by much," Izzy grumbled.

"Oi! You three!" A man shouted from a group of three down the passage.

"Get out of there!" The one woman shouted.

"Seal that door, now!" Pointed the second man. He sprinted past the very confused time travelers and pushed the heavy door shut.

The very sweaty woman stopped in front of the Doctor. "Who are you? What are you doing on my ship?"

"Are you police?" the door-sealing man asked.

"Why would we be police?" Izzy asked, increasingly confused.

"We got your distress signal," Martha explained.

"If this is a ship, why can't I hear any engines?" the Doctor asked of the woman.

"It went dead four minutes ago."

"So maybe we should stop chatting and get to engineering, Captain," reminded the first man.

"_Secure closure active,_" said the automated voice amidst blaring alarms.

"What?" the Captain exclaimed.

"The ship's gone mad."

Another woman came running down the passageway, looking behind her as doors closed. "Who activated secure closure?" She stopped at the group. "I nearly got locked in to Area 27." The last door in front of them closed and the short-haired woman noticed the new passengers. "Who are you?"

The Doctor was about to open his mouth when Martha interrupted him in an odd voice. "He's the Doctor, that's Izzy, and I'm Martha. Hello." She moved robotically through the small circle and to the sliver of a window that was visible.

"_Impact projection 42 minutes, 27 seconds._"

"We'll get out of this, I promise," the Captain assured as the Doctor looked past.

"Doctor," Martha called.

Izzy pushed herself forward. "Impact? 42 minutes until we hit what?"

"Doctor!" she said again with more urgency. "Izzy! Look!" They joined her at the small, brightly lit window.

"42 minutes until we crash into the sun." The Captain informed ominously.

The Doctor immediately pulled away, grabbing her by the shoulders. "How many crew members on board?"

"Seven including us."

"We transport cargo across the galaxy," continued the first man. "Everything's automated. We just keep the ship spaceworthy."

The Doctor ran past before he finished his breath. "Call the others! I'll get you out!" As he reached the door shouts followed him.

"What's he doing?"

"Doctor, don't!" Unheeding, the Time Lord opened the large door and was shot backwards in a burst of hot steam. Izzy and Martha ran to help him up again as the short-haired woman rushed to close the steaming door in protective gear.

"But my ship's in there!" The Doctor objected.

"In the vent chamber?" the door-seal man asked, perplexed.

"It's our life boat!" The Doctor stood.

"It's lava," the man said evenly.

The woman pulled the protective gear off her head to look at the readings. "The temperature's goin' mad in there! Up 3,000 degrees in ten seconds and still rising."

"Channeling the air," the younger man spoke to the Doctor, "the closer we get to the sun the hotter that room's gonna get."

"We're all stuck here," Izzy said, her gaze locked onto the door they could not open.

The Doctor scrambled for a hopeful solution. "So, we fix the engines, we steer the ship away from the sun. Simple." He started towards a side passage. "Engineering is down here, is it?"

"Yes," the Captain huffed.

"_Impact in 40:26_."

The company raced down the stairs after the Doctor. "Blimey," she heard him comment as he surveyed the demolished engine. "Do you always leave things in such a mess?"

"Oh my God," the Captain ducked her head under the low beams.

Her crew members followed after. "What the hell happened?"

The younger man sighed. "Oh, it's wrecked."

"Pretty efficiently, too." The Doctor commented. "Someone knew what they were doing."

"Where's Korwin?" the Captain searched. "Has anyone heard from him or Ashton?"

"No."

"Do you mean someone did this on purpose?" Izzy asked while pulling her wavy hair into a high ponytail off her neck.

"Korwin, Ashton, where are you?" The Captain hit the comm link. "Korwin, can you answer?" Izzy looked back at the worried woman who proceeded away from the panel. "Where the hell is he? He should be up here."

Izzy turned back to the Doctor when he spoke cheerfully. "Oh, we're in the Torajii system. Lovely." He looked over to his companions. "You two are a long way from home—half a universe away."

"Yeah, feels it," Martha quipped.

"And people say living across the pond will make you homesick," Izzy rolled her eyes.

The Doctor's mouth perked up a bit as he headed to the ladder. He paused to talk to the Captain. "And you're still using energy scoops for fusion. Hasn't that been outlawed yet?"

She shared a look with her crewmate. "We're due to upgrade next docking. Scannell, engine report." She moved towards the older of the brown-haired men.

Scannell pushed up his sleeves as the engine computer whirred and clicked it's way to an answer. A disagreeable beeping caused him to frown. "No response," the engineer said and he took off to another part of the engine.

"What?" the Captain exclaimed.

Martha's met Izzy's in an almost exasperated expression, as if mentally saying, _Like anything could actually go right on this ship…_

Scannell held his torch up to a fat, very disconnected wire. "They're burnt out. The controls are totally wrecked. I can't get them back online."

"Oh, come on!" the Doctor ripped off his brainy specs. "Auxiliary engines! Every craft's got auxiliaries."

"We don't have access from here," the Captain leaned on the engine. "The auxiliary controls are in the front of the ship."

"There are twenty-nine password sealed doors in between us and them. You'll never get to them in time," said Scannell dismally.

"Can't you override the doors then?" Izzy asked, the sweat starting to slide down the back of her neck.

"Sealed closer means what it says—they're all deadlock sealed," Scannell looked to her.

"So a sonic screwdriver's no use," The Doctor sucked in a breath, biting his lip in thought.

"Nothing's any use," Scannell practically threw his arms up in frustration. "We've got no engines, no time, and no chance."

"Oh, listen to you!" the Doctor scolded, "Defeated before you even started. Where's your Dunkirk spirit?" He turned to the Captain. "Who's got the door passwords?"

"They're randomly generated," put in the other man. "Reckon I'd know most of them. Sorry, Riley Vashtee," he introduced with a smile.

"Then what're you waiting for, Riley Vashtee? Get on it," the Time Lord nodded.

"Well, it's a two person job—" he grabbed a largish backpack from a high shelf. "One to take this for the questions, the other to carry this," he pulled of a fire-hydrant red device, a bit smaller than the backpack. "The oldest and cheapest security system around, eh, Captain?"

"Reliable and simple, just like you, eh, Riley?" the woman jabbed back.

Vashtee hefted the other strap onto his shoulder. "Try to be helpful, get abuse. Nice."

Martha, standing closest to him, took the red door-opening thing. "I'll help you. Make myself useful." She didn't seem to mean it as a jab at the Doctor's other companion, who was standing and waiting for the Doctor's next idea, but Izzy still found it mildly offensive. Her mouth tugged further down at the corners.

"It's remotely controlled by the computer panel. That's why it needs two."

"Oi," the Doctor called to Martha's back. When she turned, he nodded gently, "Be careful."

Martha was clearly glad to have his attention again. She smiled, "You too."

"_McDonnell, it's Ashton_," came a voice. The Captain rushed to the comm system.

"Where are you? Is Korwin with you?"

"_Get up to the medcenter, now!_"

She rushed down the long steamy hall in the direction of Martha, and the Doctor pulled his hands out of his pockets to follow. Knowing there was nothing she could do in engineering, Izzy hurriedly followed suit.

They ran past the working team as the ship reminded, "_Impact in 34:31_."

XXXXXXXXX

They ran through a doorway covered by plastic strips to the yells of a writhing man on an MRI-like contraption. Two other crew members were struggling to hold the man down.

The Captain, obviously recognizing this man, came forward with a panicked, sweaty expression. "Korwin! What's happened? Is he okay?" The Doctor and Izzy moved to hold down his struggling legs.

"Kath, help me, please!" called Korwin through gritted teeth. "It's burning me!"

"How long's he been like this?" the Doctor asked of the woman in red scrubs.

"Ashton just brought him in." The Doctor pulled out his sonic at Korwin's face. "What are you doing?"

"Don't get too close." The bald man—Ashton—warned him.

"Don't be so stupid! He's my husband." The Captain shoved him away from the shoulders, moving Izzy by proxy down to holding down the kicking feet.

"And he's just sabotaged our ship," Ashton said, the _whirr_ing of the sonic in the background.

"What?" the Captain exclaimed.

"He went mad. He put the ship under secure closure, then he set a heat pulse to melt the controls."

"No way! He wouldn't do that."

"I saw it happen, Captain."

"Korwin," the Doctor cut in gently. "Korwin, open your eyes for me a second."

"I can't," the man writhed.

"'Course you can," Izzy soothed, going along with whatever the Doctor had planned. "Go on."

"Don't make me look at you! Please!"

"Alright, alright, alright," the Doctor stretched a long arm out and grabbed a gun-like device from the side table by Izzy. "Just relax." He pulled the thing up to the scrubbed woman's face, "Sedative?"

"Yes." He put it to Korwin's neck and the man shouted in pain before going limp. Everyone relaxed away from the man, panting slightly from their efforts.

"What's wrong with him, Doctor?" Izzy asked, recovering.

He leaned lightly against the bench. "Rising body temperature, unusual energy readings." He pointed to the machine itself. "Stasis chamber! I do love a good stasis chamber. Keep him sedated in there, regulate the body temperature," the nurse scrambled to do so, "and just for fun, run a bioscan, a tissue profile, and a metabolic detail."

"Just doing them now," the woman turned her head to look at him.

"Ooh, you're good. Anyone else presenting these symptoms?"

"Not so far."

"Well, that's something."

"Will someone tell me what is the matter with him?" the Captain demanded.

"Some sort of infection," the Doctor supplied. "We'll know more after the test results. Now, allons-y, back downstairs, eh?" he pointed. "See about those engines. Go." Ashton headed grudgingly out of the room, but the Captain hesitated. The Doctor looked into her eyes. "Go," he said more gently.

Panting, she turned away to leave. The Doctor did as well, still looking back at the nurse. "Call us if there's news." He grabbed Izzy by the hand and rushed her to the doorway. "Any questions?"

"Yeah. Who are you people?"

Just as they were out the doorway, he stuck his head back in. "I'm the Doctor," he had moved the flap so that it revealed Izzy as well. "And this is Izzy. Carry on!" Grabbing Izzy's hand again as if he was worried she would get lost or fall behind, they took off down the hallway again.

XXXXXXXX

"_Heat shield failing at 25% Impact in 32:50_"

Izzy stood by the comm system, feeling entirely useless. The Doctor moved up to it, leaning close into the speaker. "Abi, how's Korwin doing? Any results from the bioscan?"

"_He's under heavy sedation. I'm just trying to make sense of this data. Give me a couple minutes and I'll let you know._"

He pressed a different button urgently. "Martha, Riley, how you doing?"

"_Area 29, at the door to 28!_" came Martha's shout.

He put on his brainy specs to look at the electronic schematics on the screen. "Yeah, you've got to move faster."

"_We're doing our best!_" the Doctor moved swiftly back to the engine, leaving the system on to keep tabs on their progress.

"_Find the next number in the sequence: 313, 331, 367…?_ _What?_" echoed Vashtee's voice.

"_You said the crew knew all the answers_," Martha's voice was much fainter now that she wasn't shouting.

"_The crew's changed since we set the questions_."

"_You're joking."_

"It's 379!" Izzy shouted suddenly, in half astonishment. She'd always—humbly—been the best in math in science in school, but never had she been able to do the math in her head that quickly before. She looked at the Doctor who had rushed to the panel just as she spoke. "Right?"

"_What?_"

The Doctor studied his companion for a moment with widened eyes. When no sound came out of her opened, surprised mouth, he continued for her. "It's a sequence of happy primes; 379."

"_Happy what?_"

"Just enter it!" the Doctor burst out.

"_Are you sure? We only get one chance._" Vashtee asked this time.

"Any number that reduces to one when you take the sum of the squares of its digits and continue iterating till it yields one is a happy number. And number that doesn't isn't. A happy prime is both happy and prime," Izzy had recovered and was almost smiling at the Doctor's head bobs as he spoke. "Now type it in!"

He locked eyes with Izzy, looking impressed. "Didn't think they taught that in your time."

She shrugged with a tentative smile. "Advanced classes, I guess. Lucky I'm good under stress."

There was a beeping and then Martha's relieved voice came on. "_Ah, we're through!_"

"Keep moving fast as you can," he took off his glasses. "And Martha, be careful. There may be something else on board the ship."

"_Any time you want to unnerve me, feel free._"

"Will do, thanks." He went back to the engine.

"_Impact in 30:50_."

XXXXXXXX

"We need a backup in case they don't reach the auxiliary engines in time," the Doctor set down a piece of the engine he had lifted. "Come on, think, resources—what have we got?" He gestured around impatiently to the remaining crew.

"_Doctor?_" Martha's voice echoed.

"What is it now?" he nearly snapped.

"_Who had the most number ones, Elvis or the Beatles? That's predownloads._"

"Elvis. No! The Beatles." He smacked the side of his head as if that would knock loose an answer. "No, wait! Um… Um… Ohh! That remix. I don't know. I am a bit busy!"

"Martha, it's Elvis!" Izzy shouted, then in a smaller voice, she added, "I am almost positive. Ninety-eight percent sure. Probably… Oh, just call someone with a computer!" Martha closed the comm.

The Doctor let out a breath. "Now, where was I? 'Here comes the sun.' No, resources, so…" He pointed energetically about the befuddled crew. "The power's still working. The generator's going. If we can harness that—ah!" He swung around, stopping at Izzy who had slowly joined the circle.

"Use the generators to jump-start the ship." The Captain gathered, hands on hips.

"Exactly!" He looked excitedly at her. "At the very least, it'll buy us some more time."

She cocked her head to look at him curiously. "That is brilliant."

"I know!" he said in a higher pitch, congratulating himself. He smiled at Izzy, who had rolled her eyes laughingly. "See? Tiny glimmer of hope."

"If it works," Scannell said, ever the pessimist.

The Captain looked hard at him. "Oh, believe me, you're going to make it work." The man stalked off with the smallest hint of a smile.

The Doctor smiled after the retreating figure, still high off the new hope. "That told him!" he pointed childishly and Izzy shook her head with a chuckle.

"_Impact in 29:46._"

XXXXXXXX

"_Impact in 28:50_."

"_Doctor, these readings are starting to scare me._" Abi's voice came on.

The Doctor stopped his pacing. "What do you mean?"

"_Korwin's body's changing. His whole biological makeup—it's impossible._"

Izzy watched as the crew lifted their heads to listen more closely. Abi paused, but then there was a short beep and her voice picked up again, more tense than before. "_This is medcenter, urgent assistance requested. Urgent assistance._"

The Doctor took off running. "Stay here! Keep working!" Seeing as there was no work she could do, Izzy followed the Doctor, the Captain just behind.

"_Urgent assistance!_"

"Abi, they're on their way," Izzy could hear as she exited the room.

"_What's happening to you?_" asked Abi shakily, the comm. still transmitting her voice.

"_Burn with me_." An unnaturally deep voice joined hers, echoing through the ship. "_Burn with me_."

"Captain!" called Scannell as the runners rounded another corner.

The Doctor paused, turning to realize that he had a following. "I told you to stay in engineering, all of you!"

Scannell moved ahead of him. "I only take orders from one person 'round here."

The Captain moved ahead of the Doctor as well. "Oh, is he always this cheery?" the Doctor complained. Grabbing Izzy's arm lightly but keeping her behind him, they took off again.

"_Burn with me._"

"_Korwin, you're sick._"

"_Burn… with… me_." The inhuman voice annunciated.

There was a whooshing roar and then a long, pained scream of a woman echoing through the halls as the Doctor and Izzy ran. It ended, and then there was only the sound of feet hitting the metal flooring of the ship.

"_Doctor, what were those screams?_" asked Martha, just as they had hit the stairs.

"Just concentrate on those doors!" he shouted as an answer. "You've got to keep moving forward!"

"_Impact in 27:06_."

XXXXXXXX

Scannell broke through the plastic flaps first. The others followed, pausing in front of the now-empty stasis chamber.

"Korwin's gone," observed the Captain in shock.

Scannell turned to look for Abi. "Oh my God," he gasped, causing everyone else to look as well to the scorched outline of a woman. The Doctor walked slowly up to it. "Tell me that's not Lerner."

The Doctor gently stroked the outline of Abi's hair bun. "Endothermic vaporization. Horrible," he remarked quietly, turning around to Izzy and the crew. "I've never seen one this ferocious. 'Burn with me.'"

"That's what Korwin said," Izzy confirmed.

"What?" the Captain objected while Izzy wandered. "You think… No way. Scannell tell them. Korwin is not a killer. He can't vaporize people. He's human!"

Izzy raised a filmy sheet from the side table into the light. "Doctor, look. Looks like bioscan results." She handed it to the Time Lord.

"Internal temperature—100 degrees?" he read off, Izzy mentality filling in Celcius. "Body oxygen replaced by hydrogen?" The Doctor's eyebrows rose higher. "Your husband hasn't been infected. He's been overwhelmed."

The Captain tore the sheet from his hands. "The test results are wrong!"

"So is it a parasite? A virus?" Izzy asked as the Doctor rose from his crouch.

He looked at her, but she could see his focus was not on her face but on his own thoughts. "Something that needs a host body," he answered, "but how did it get inside him?"

"Stop talking like he's some kind of experiment!"

Izzy had the decency to look ashamed but the Doctor just fired more questions. "Where's the ship been? Have you made planet fall recently?" the Captain shook her head. "Docked with any other vessels?" Again no. "Any sort of external contact at all?"

"What is this, an interrogation?"

"We've got to stop him before he kills again."

"We're just a cargo ship," she sighed and turned into Scannell.

"If you'll just give her a minute," the crewman cautioned.

"I'm fine," she recovered. "I need to warn the crew." She moved past Izzy and the Doctor to the comm. "Everybody, listen to me. Something has infected Korwin. We think…" she paused, making eye contact with the Doctor and his companion, "he killed Abi Lerner. None of you must go anywhere near him. Is that clear?"

"_Understood, Captain._" Ashton answered.

XXXXXXXXX

"_Impact in 24:51_."

"Is the infection permanent? Can you cure him?" the Captain asked hopefully from her sitting position.

The Doctor lowered the scans he had been looking at to meet her eyes. "I don't know."

"Don't lie to me, Doctor," she pressed. "Eleven years we've been married. Chose this ship together. He keeps me honest." She looked seriously at him, "So I don't want false hope."

"The parasite's too aggressive," he amended. "Your husband's gone. There's no way back, sorry." Izzy looked up concernedly, but his expression was impassive.

"Thank you," the Captain whispered.

He came around the stasis chamber bench. "Are you certain nothing happened to provoke this? Nobody's working on anything secret? 'Cause it's vital that you tell us." Despite the grim situation, Izzy was glad he remembered her presence.

"I know every inch of this ship. I know every detail of my crew's lives. There is nothing."

"Then why is this thing so interested in you?" he mused.

She shook her head. "I wish I knew."

"_Doctor, we're through to area 17."_

"Keep going. You've got to get to area 1 and reboot those engines." The Doctor spoke into the panel.

"_Heat shields failing at 20%"_ said the ship, and Izzy exchanged a tense look with the Time Lord.

XXXXXXXXX

"_Doctor, we're stuck in an escape pod off the Area 17 airlock. One of the crew's trying to jettison us. You've got to help us!_" Martha panicked. "_Tell me you can stop it._"

"Why is this happening?" the Captain pause on their way back to the engine room.

The Doctor turned to them, tearing his brainy specs off. "Stay here. I mean it this time!" He sprinted in the direction of Area 17. "Jump-start those engines!" he shouted back to them.

She waited until his footsteps faded before Izzy gave the crew a goodbye nod and took off after him. He would probably be furious with her for following against his orders, but she could do nothing in the engine room, and if he thought she would give up on a chance to help Martha, he was sorely mistaken.

XXXXXXXX

"That's enough!" Izzy heard the Doctor command. She slowed to a stop just behind the doorway to Area 17, not wanting to distract the Doctor until she was absolutely needed. "What do you want? Why this ship? Tell me!"

"Argh!" the mutated crewman yelled, and there was a crash. Standing full in the doorway to see, Izzy watched the gloved hand pull away from the smashed circuitry and advance towards the Doctor.

"Come on," the Time Lord taunted. "Let's see you." The man stood face-to-mask with the Doctor. "I wanna know what you really are." Just as the hand reached up to flip the shade open, the thing-that-had-been-Ashton collapsed with a shout of pain.

Izzy ran forward to the Doctor's side. "What's happened?"

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay back!" he shouted, his protective worry translating into anger.

"I wasn't going to stay behind while Martha was in danger," she asserted tersely, keeping her eyes on the crippled Ashton. "Besides, I am useless in the engine room."

Suddenly Ashton stood rigidly and strode forward rigidly, catching both Izzy and the Doctor on their shoulders as he pushed through them. Recovering quickly, the Doctor ran over to the comm panel.

"McDonnell, Ashton's heading in your direction! He's been infected just like Korwin."

There was a pause, and then, "_Korwin's dead, Doctor_."

There was a chiming and the Doctor looked away from the speaker to the small window that allowed them to see the pod holding Martha and Riley. Martha was slapping against the porthole, calling out something repeatedly. Izzy could only hear what the Doctor shouted.

"I'll save you!" More slapping from Martha. "I'll save you! I'll… save… you!" The pod began drifting away, the Doctor still shouting after it. After a moment he quieted.

Izzy dropped away from her place behind the Doctor's shoulder, where she had stood on tiptoe to see her friend. The oncoming sadness she felt for the loss of her friend was only help back by the thin hope that the Doctor would indeed be able to save her.

"So," she choked out, "How're we going to save her?" He gave her a broken, half-mad look.

"_Impact in 17:05_"

He rushed to the comm., pushing the button heatedly. "Scannell, I need a spacesuit in Area 17, now!"

Izzy pushed him slightly out of the way. "Make that two!" He gave her a look that said he disapproved completely.

"_What for?_"

"Just get down here!" the Doctor and Izzy shouted simultaneously.

XXXXXXX

"I can't let you do this." Scannell protested as the Doctor and Izzy settled their suits into place.

"You're wasting your breath, Scannell," Izzy said dryly, trying to arrange the too-big suit on her small frame.

"You're not going to stop me," the Doctor affirmed.

"You want to open an airlock in flight on a ship spinning into the sun—no one can survive that."

"Oh, just you watch."

"You open that airlock, it's suicide. This close to the sun the shields will barley protect you."

"If I can boost the magnetic lock on the ship's exterior, it should re-magnetize the pod. While I'm out there, you've got to get the rest of those doors open. We _need_ those auxiliary engines."

"Doctor, will you listen? They're too far away. It's too late."

"I'm not going to lose her." He turned to Izzy, "You are staying here. I couldn't stop you from putting on the suit, but I can stop you from using it. You are not coming out under any circumstances." She was about to protest, but he sealed the helmet on and turned to the door. It slid open and the Time Lord stepped into the chamber.

Quickly sealing her helmet on, Izzy stepped in just before the chamber closed. The Doctor looked ahead, oblivious to her presence.

"_Decompression initiated_," said the ship, and warning alarms began as the outer door prepared to open.

"_Impact in 12:55_."

XXXXXXXX

By the time the process had finished the ship had warned again. "_Impact in 11:15. Heat shield failing at 10%"_

The Doctor walked forward and pressed the airlock release button to slide the door open. Immediately the room was hotter than Izzy could imagine and the rush of heat pushed her back against the door and forced the Doctor to support himself on the lip of the doorway.

Slowly, painfully, he climbed half out of the portal, where Izzy couldn't see. He slipped back with a startled shout and Izzy rushed forward to grab his flailing arm. He straddled the rim, almost falling again at the sudden touch.

"What are you doing? I told you to stay out!" He managed to shout angrily.

Flinching at his unnecessary volume—she could hear him perfectly through the comm. link in the helmets—she lifted him back upright. "Nevermind that! You have a magnetic lock to boost!"

Without another word, he swung himself forward to reach the panel of multicolored buttons. "Ahh! Come on!" he shouted at himself, frustrated. He managed the lowest button. "'Go on, my son,'" he quoted. He made another pained noise, worrying Izzy further as she held onto his other leg to keep him anchored to the ship.

"Doctor? What is it?"

"I can't—I can't reach! I don't know how much longer I can last."

"Come on, you can't give up on Martha now!" The intense heat made Izzy feel as if her skin was cooking off her bones, and she was partially hidden by the metal of the ship. If the Doctor was completely exposed, she was sure it was only his Time Lord resilience that kept him alive.

That seemed to steel his purpose, and Izzy felt more of him slip from her grasp as he stretched his long body to hook his fingers on the box handle. The cooked metal gave way, the protective panel falling into the sun.

With screams of pain and effort that made Izzy grip him impossibly tighter, the Time Lord managed to flip the stiff switch down. He nearly collapsed with the effort but he managed to position himself so that Izzy could pull him back in. They tumbled to the metal floor, exhausted and still burning with the heat. Izzy moved herself to the side of the chamber, panting and trying to keep out of the direct line of the sun. The Doctor, however, stood on his knees, looking out at the brilliant, bright surface beyond the incoming pod.

"It's alive," he said quietly.

"What?" Izzy panted, not quite willing to push herself up, her arms were so leaden with fatigue.

"It's alive. It's alive," he repeated robotically.

"_Doctor, close the airlock now!" _Scannell's voice came through.

"Doctor, you have to move!" Pushing herself up painfully, she pulled the entranced Time Lord away from the portal and to the center of the room. She pushed the airlock seal button and stood out of the way as the transparent barrier closed in front of her.

"_Impact in 8:57_."

The pod locked on. The inner door slid open just as the Doctor and Izzy pulled off their helmets. "_Airlock decompression completed_."

Keeping his eyes shut tight, the Doctor crawled out into Area 17. "Doctor, what's wrong?" Izzy threw her helmet aside and bent down to him. He would not turn to her.

"Doctor!" Martha's shriek sounded as she crawled out of the pod. She rushed to him, just opposite Izzy. "Are you okay?"

They managed to turn him over, but both women flinched back when they saw his eyes. They had opened to slits, but the glowing yellow light burning out of them seemed to open the lids wider.

"Stay away from me," he said in the same deep voice that had infected Korwin. He shut his eyes quickly and fell away from their caring arms. Martha stood, looking stricken.

"What's happened?" McDonnell asked worriedly, approaching behind Riley and Martha.

"It's your fault, Captain McDonnell," the Doctor managed in his normal timbre.

The Captain looked more than a little frightened. "Riley, get down to Area 10 and help Scannell with the doors. Go!" she panted.

"You mined that sun, scooped its surface for cheap fuel," the Doctor continued, wincing and heaving. "You should've scanned for life!"

"I don't understand," the Captain breathed, though she looked as if she was starting to.

"Doctor, what are you talking about?" Martha asked, completely lost.

"It's alive," Izzy realized. "That's what he kept saying. That sun is a living organism!"

The Doctor continued to tremble and squirm. "They scooped out its heart, used it for fuel, and now its screaming!"

"What does he mean? How can a sun be alive? Why is he saying that?" the Captain panicked.

"Because it's living in me." Izzy recoiled.

McDonnell covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my God."

"Humans!" he screamed. "You grab whatever's nearest and bleed it dry! Ahh! You should've scanned!"

"It takes too long," the Captain defended. "We'd be caught. Fusion scoops are illegal."

"Ahh!" he tried to stand. "Martha, Izzy, you've got to freeze me, quickly."

"What?" Martha asked, helping Izzy get him to his feet.

"Stasis chamber! You've got to take me to below -200, freeze it out of me," sweat dripping off of him, his voice rose to a scream. "Ah, ah, I—It'll use me to kill you all if you don't. The closer we get to the sun the stronger the link! Ahh! The medcenter, quickly, quickly!"

Together, Izzy and Martha lifted him enough for them to half-walk half-drag him to the medcenter. Gathering some sense about her, the Captain picked up the slack.

"_Impact in 7:30."_

XXXXXXXX

They stumbled into the medcenter together, Martha splitting off to the controls, talking to herself. "I can do this. I can do it." She flipped through the laminated manual.

"Martha, where are you?" The Doctor called, stretching out an arm.

Izzy held him up on the other side. "It's alright she's here, getting everything ready."

Martha rushed to his side to help him to the hard bench. "Stasis chamber, -200, yeah?"

"But you don't know how this equipment works!" McDonnell protested, helping the women lift him into the chamber. "You'll kill him! Nobody can survive those temperatures!"

"He's not human," Izzy pushed. "If he says he can survive, he can."

"Let me help you then!" she exclaimed.

"You've done enough damage," Martha practically growled.

The Doctor slid himself further on the mat, gasping. "Ten seconds, that's all I'll be able to take, no more," he ended in a shout. "It's burning me up, I can't control it. If we don't get rid of it I could kill you two. I could kill you all."

Izzy's suit squeaked in protest of her grabbing the Doctor's arm tighter. He winced, but not from her grip. His eyes were still shut impossibly tight.

"I'm sacred, I'm so scared," he breathed in pain.

"Just stay calm," Martha struggled. "You saved us and now we're gonna save you."

"Just believe in us," Izzy leaned. "We can save you, and you can save everyone, just like always."

"It's burning through me! I can't let that happen."

"That's enough," Martha grasped with a hopeful smile. "I've got you."

"There's this process, this-this thing that happens if I'm about to die—" he choked out.

"Shhh, quiet now," Martha cut him off, "'cause that is _not_ gonna happen. You ready?" She looked at Izzy as the Doctor gasped a "No."

Tensely, Martha moved over to the controls and gripped the handles with both hands. Closing her eyes, she pushed them slowly forward. The bed holding the Doctor slid into the chamber like an MRI machine. As Izzy stood by anxiously, Martha keyed in the numbers, pressing a final button that caused the machine to turn on and the Doctor to scream.

Izzy could hear the crackling of ice blending with the screams. She kept her eyes steadily on the temperature gage, avoiding the Doctor's form with a pained face.

"_Heat shields failing at five percent._"

XXXXXXXXXXX

The temperature had just reached negative seventy when the screen blinked out. The stasis chamber went black and ice crinkled and cracked as the Doctor moved to protest.

"Don't! Martha you can't stop it, not yet!"

"We didn't!" Izzy shouted. "The power's gone. How?" she turned to the Captain.

"It must've been cut in engineering."

"But who's down there?" Martha squeaked in panic.

"Leave this to me," she commanded and rushed out of the room, the Doctor still panting and screaming.

"_Impact in 4:47_."

Izzy moved over to Martha's side as the med student pressed the number pad frantically. "Come on," she groaned. "He's defrosting."

"Martha, Izzy, listen! I've only got a moment. You've gotta go!" The Doctor shouted, his companions leaning in to him in defiance.

"No way," Martha declared with her usual stubborn sass.

"You've got to get to the front, the engines! Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them!"

"We're not leaving you!" Izzy shouted back.

"You've got to!" he cried desperately, "Give back what they took!"

"Doctor—"

"Please, go!" he begged with an edge to his voice that Izzy knew meant their departure was as much for his safety as for theirs.

Izzy grabbed Martha's arm and stepped away. "We'll be back for you, I promise."

"_Impact in 4:08_."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"_Impact in 3:43_."

Izzy leapt through door frames, over fallen chains and tools through the steaming corridors, Martha slightly behind in her high heels. The suit almost kept her cooler, but it's extra weight, however minimal, did nothing to help.

"_Riley, Scannell? I'm sorry_," came the Captain's voice over the comm.

"_McDonnell, McDonnell?_" came Scannell's confused reply as the two women continued to sweat their way through their sprint.

"_Exterior airlock opened_," said the ship.

"_Impact in 2:17_." Izzy put some extra speed into her stride that she didn't even know she had. "_Primary engines critical. Repeat, primary engines critical_."

"_Survival estimate projection, zero percent_," the ship said negatively as Izzy and Martha passed through the doorway to Area 4.

"_Izzy!_" came the Doctor's voice. The girl stopped, pausing Martha as well.

"Doctor!" Martha gasped. "What're you doing?"

"_I can't fight it,_" he groaned. "_Give it back or… burn with me. Burn with me!_"

Shaking off the chill his deep voice gave her, Izzy took off again, tugging Martha to start.

"_Impact in 1:21_." His scream echoed through the ship. "_Life support systems reaching critical. Repeat, life support systems reaching critical._"

XXXXXXXXXXX

"_Impact in 1:06. Collision alert, collision alert_," the ship repeated, accompanying the blaring alarms.

"Why's it not working!" Izzy heard Riley shout as she and Martha rushed into the engine room.

Izzy caught herself on the railing. "Vent the engines," she panted, "dump the fuel."

"What?" the crew echoed.

"Sun particles in the fuel, get rid of them," Martha commanded. "Do it. Now!" In a different situation Izzy would have chuckled at the speed in which they followed Martha's bossy tone, but now was definitely not the time or place.

Pressing buttons and flipping switches Izzy knew she would never learn, the crew worked hurriedly. Yet as the alarms blared ever louder, Izzy still felt it was not fast enough for saving the Doctor.

"Come on Doctor, hold on." Martha voiced Izzy's similar thoughts.

The ship lurched and the automated voice began a different warning. "Fuel dump in progress, fuel dump in progress."

The crewmen recovered enough to return to their controls, turning knobs and what's-a-who's-its which Izzy assumed would right the ship. The ship rocked again, but this time it was followed by a rising hum, like engines starting up.

Riley said something that was lost on Izzy as they were thrown to the ground again in another violent wave. The alarms blared again, but this time the voice accompanying it repeated something much more positive.

"_Impact averted, impact averted, impacted averted_."

Slowly Izzy released the bit of pipe she had been holding onto desperately, glad the ship was calm again. She looked, astonished and relieved, at Martha, who did the same.

"We're clear," Riley panted, rising. "We had just enough reserves."

Scannell actually smiled for the first time since she met him and rushed to hug Riley. Standing straight, Izzy opened her arms to give one to Martha, who took it with a relieved laugh.

They pulled back to look at each other, and Izzy's face fell into panic, "Doctor!" she rushed out of the room with Martha quick behind.

XXXXXXXXXX

A very haggard looking Doctor was just standing when Izzy launched herself into him, locking her arms around his neck as he lifted her off the ground with a laugh. She heard Martha stop beside them, and a quick glance at her smiling face told Izzy that just this once the woman was not bothered by not being first. Burying her impossibly wide grin in his shoulder and trying to ignore the warm ache in her chest, she could feel the breath of his comforting laughter tickle her neck as he spun them around before letting her down.

He turned to Martha and repeated the process again, Izzy smiling and satisfied with his safety. With Martha's back to her, however, Izzy couldn't be sure if the girl was laughing or beginning to cry.

XXXXXXXXXX

"This was never your ship," Scannell appraised, pacing around the TARDIS in the now-hospitable vent chamber.

"Compact," the Doctor declared, coming around the other side. "See? And another good word—robust." He stroked the wood next to where Izzy stood. "Barley a scorch mark on her."

"But we can't just leave you drifting with no fuel," Martha addressed Riley.

"We've sent out official mayday. The authorities will pick us up soon enough."

"Though how we explain what happened…" Scannell mused.

"Just tell them," the Doctor turned, opening the door, "that sun needs care and protection just like any other living thing." He stepped inside, Izzy directly after him.

The Doctor stopped at the console and Izzy leaned on it to his left. She was about to make light of the whole ordeal, but paused when she glimpsed his solemn stare into the distance. She straightened, watching his face as Martha entered.

"So," she clapped, "we didn't really need you in the end, did we?" Izzy gave her a look as she came into view, and the woman deflated upon seeing his stare. "Sorry."

"Doctor," Izzy said gently, "how're you doing?" His dark eyes slid to her electric ones without an answer.

"Now, what'd you say? Ice skating on the lunar lakes of Kurhaan, fancy it?" He flipped some switches in front of Izzy, slightly facing Martha.

"Whatever you like," the girl said passively.

There was a pause, then he stepped a bit back from his position between them. "Oh, yeah, and you'll be needing these." He reached in his coat pocket and pulled two chains out at their eye level, each with a silver key hanging from them.

Izzy gasped and the beginnings of a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Martha looked a mixture of grateful, surprised, and almost relieved, like a key to the TARDIS meant he'd forgiven her for something.

"Really?" she breathed.

"Frequent flyers' privilege." Martha held out her hands expectantly, reverently. Separating the two, he lowered one delicately into her awaiting palms. He faced Izzy and, seeing that she was still in a state of awe with no waiting hands, settled the necklace chain gently over her head, where the key rested low on her chest.

He kept his eyes locked on her. "Thank you," he whispered to her electric gaze. He faced the two of them together. "Thank you both."

"Don't mention it," Martha breathed, captivated by the key and what it meant. "Oh, no," she said to herself as if she just realized something, "Mum!" She fumbled the phone out of her pocket and began to dial. The Doctor gave her a look as she moved around the console, like he was pleased that she was using the signal upgrade so soon.

Izzy looked down at the key at her chest, turning it in the light. She stepped back, out of the Doctor's way, absentmindedly hearing Martha's side of the conversation.

"It's me again… Sorry about earlier, overemotional, mad day," Martha emphasized and Izzy gave a small smile of someone who was not supposed to be listening but agreed with the sentiment anyway. "…Yeah, tonight. Do my best. And, remind me, just what day is it again?... Right, 'course. I'll be round for tea—roughly. Anyway, I gotta go. See ya later, love you." Martha finished with a smile, connecting eyes with the Doctor.

XXXXXXXXX

**A/N: I am sorry for the delay, truly. Just as a warning for the next chapter, there will be a character missing. If you start reading it and don't like it, don't keep reading. I enjoyed righting it this way, difficult as it was to keep it slightly to the original storyline, and that was my goal. Anyway, the next chapter should be up within the week, as I said, I'm nearly done.**

**-Ellie**


	9. Human Nature

**Disclaimer**: Characters belong to their respective creators and their talented actors. Izzy is mine.

**A/N: Now don't get all huffy when you realize that a character is missing. It is much more convenient for me to write it this way and it co-insides with the plot and relationships I am developing. I did keep the theme of the dialogue mostly the same, and the progression of the episode's plot is still consistent, if more than a bit AU. Remember, never flame. But I do hope you enjoy it; I know this was one of my favorites to write. I am including John Smith's dreams, but mostly the scenes will only be ones focusing on Izzy.**

XXXXXXXXXX

"_Get down!" the Doctor shouted as a bright green beam blasted through the open door of the TARDIS. He pushed himself up and quickly closed it as lingering sparks flew from the spot the blast hit. Martha and Izzy uncurled from their protective positions and tried to stand._

_The Doctor grabbed Martha by the shoulders and pulled her the rest of the way up. "Did they see you?" he shouted urgently._

"_I don't know!"_

_He moved to Izzy, clasping her shoulders in the same way."But did they see you?" He didn't even let her start. He spoke in a slightly more controlled tone. "Izzy, this is important—did they see your face? Either of you?"_

_Izzy shook her head confidently. "No, they couldn't have. We were running away, if they saw us, it was only from behind."_

_He looked satisfied. He released her and threw his coat off in the same fluid movement. "Off we go," he ran to the console and hit a switch, waiting expectantly for the sound of the TARDIS's engines starting. They did, but the sound was accompanied by another, trilling alarm bell noise. Izzy got out of his way as he rushed to the scanner with a frustrated cry. He stared at the screen with a look of dread. "They're following us."_

"_How can they do that? You've got a time machine," Martha pressed._

"_Stolen technology—" he moved back to the controls, "they've got a Time Agent's vortex manipulator. They can follow us wherever we go, right across the universe." He ran a worried hand through his hair. "They're never going to stop. Unless…" Izzy could practically see the lightbulb go on over his head, but instead of exciting her, it worried her. Something about his tone said that this was a last resort option. She was not wrong. "I'll have to do it." _

_He pulled his hand away from his hair and locked eyes with Martha. "Martha you trust me, don't you?"_

"_Of course I do," she answered with a touch of confusion._

"_Izzy?" he looked to her steady gaze._

"_Always," the brunette said automatically._

"'_Cause it all depends on you two."_

"_What does?" Martha panicked as he ducked beneath the console. "What are we supposed to do?"_

_He sprung back up, holding a silver pocket watch level with their faces. "Take this watch 'cause my life depends on it. This watch," he emphasized, "this watch is—"_

XXXXXXXXX

"Excuse me, ma'am." Izzy looked up and gave the student a kindly smile before adjusting the stiff matron's dress. Two months in the material and she still had difficulty getting used to such a long dress. How women of the time handled such stiff manners as well was beyond her. She turned her gaze forward and caught sight of the Doctor—_no, Mr. Smith_—in her path carrying a near-toppling tower of books.

She threw on a quick smile. "Oh, good morning, Mr. Smith."

In reply, the over-tall teacher knocked over the top volume off the tower. "Oh! Ohh, there we go," he put a foot on the book as if that would somehow let it travel back up to his hands.

Izzy had to hold back a chuckle at Mr. Smith's bumbling way. She took pity on the man. "Let me help you."

"No, no, I've got it, no," he stared at the shoe and the book in hesitation. "Um… Ah, how best to retrieve," Izzy smiled as he spun, looking for a place to set his tower. Finally he presented them to her waiting arms. "I'll tell you what, you take these—"

"Right," Izzy said, rolling her eyes as he bent down to retrieve the book. With a small grunt he rose again. Izzy threw him another smile, marveling at how his tasseled cap stayed on his head. "Good."

Mr. Smith smiled back. "No harm done." He tucked the single book under his arm. "So, umm, how was Jenkins?"

Izzy was reminded of her temporary occupation as the school nurse. "Oh, just a cold, nothing serious. I think he's homesick more than anything."

A cold was nearly all she could really diagnose as she had no real medical training. While Mr. Smith and Martha had started at the school in the same day, she was told to wait a week so as not to bring suspicion. It had given her time to study as well as find a way to coax the previous nurse out of her job. When she finally arrived, Mr. Smith did not know her—as planned—and she was forced to introduce herself to him again as the strictly proper Irish-American school nurse, come to the boarding school to enjoy the peaceful English countryside. If it weren't for the discrimination against Martha's color in the time period, the med student would have made a much better fit.

"Aw, can't have that," Mr. Smith allowed with a smile.

"He received a letter this morning, so he's in better spirits." The weight in her arms grew heavier and she pointed this out to the teacher. "I appear to be holding your books."

Mr. Smith shook out of his focus on her face. "Yes, so you are. Sorry, sorry." Placing the book back on top, he attempted to lift the tower again. "Just let me—" he struggled.

"Here," she proposed smilingly, "why don't I take half?"

His responding smile was almost excessive. "Ah, brilliant idea, brilliant. Perfect." Holding his half, he stared into her eyes again. "Division of labor."

In quite the reversal of roles, Izzy found his fumbling manners endearing. "We make quite a team," she said, her words laden with meaning he would not remember.

"Don't we just," he said eagerly and she shared a short chuckle with him.

"So, were these books headed in any particular direction?" she pointed with a smile.

"Yes, um…" he looked over her head for the answer. He turned back to the way she had been headed. "This way."

XXXXXXXXX

"I always say, Matron, you give the boys a good head of steam, they'll soon wear themselves out." Mr. Smith's voice echoed in the wooden halls.

_Whatever that means, _Izzy thought. Tired of being called Matron, she tried something new. "Actually, when it's just the two of us, I would prefer you call me Nurse Brannen," she tried casually while inwardly begging that voice to call her Izzy again. "Matron makes me feel a bit more aged."

He smiled breathily as they started down the stairs. "Ah, well, Nurse Brannen it is then."

She gave him a sideways glance to gaze his reaction. The sense of propriety in Mr. Smith was much stronger than the Doctor's, and she had to be cautious in her current position. "Although we've only known each other near two months," she started bravely, "you could even call me… Isolde."

They reached the landing. "Isolde?"

She nearly backtracked, fearing that she had pushed some 1913-society boundaries she had yet to learn. "Yes," she almost stuttered, "that's my name." If a first name basis was hard for him to manage, she feared what would happen if she threw something as informal as a nickname into the mix.

He corrected himself well enough, however. "Well, obviously." They stopped at a bulletin board on the wall of the landing area.

"And it's John, isn't it?" she feigned ignorance.

"Yes, yes it is, yes." She smiled at his trademark—or well the Doctor's trademark—repetition of phrase.

She noticed the flyer on the board. "Does that say 'Dance'? I didn't even know they had informal dances in this stuffy soc—" she stopped and caught herself, looking at him wide-eyed. "Hall! Yes, the school hallways are so stuffy these days," she fanned a hand about as if to create circulation in the room. "Well, good thing it's in the village hall. Much bigger, more…" she slowed at his curious expression, "windows."

She stared at the floor for a beat, mentally berating herself for slipping up, the third time in that month. She composed a cheerful smile and looked up at him again. "So, do you think you'll be going?"

He hesitated, "I hadn't thought about it."

Suddenly the idea of the Doctor dancing inspired her to pursue his attendance. "If you don't mind me saying, you should think more on it. It sounds as if it could be rather fun, a sort of welcoming experience for us newcomers, a chance to get away from the books. I myself haven't been to a dance in quite a long time," she said almost to herself. "I might have gone more often, had I been asked."

"Well…" the teacher stuttered, "I should imagine that you'd be um—I mean, I never thought you'd be one for—I mean, there's no reason why you shouldn't." Izzy tried to keep the amused grin off her face, but feared she could not even manage that. "If you do. You may not." He started to back up. "I-I probably won't. But even if I did then I couldn't—" and I dawned on her that he thought she had been asking for them to go together and she made an open-mouthed, apologetically embarrassed face. She waited for him to stop his rambling, but his heels nearing the steps called for more urgency. "I mean, I wouldn't want to—"

"D—John, the stairs," she warned. He continued backwards still.

"What about the stairs."

"They're right behind you, careful—" her sentence was ended for her with an "Ohh!" from Mr. Smith and a large number of thumps and flying papers.

XXXXXXXX

Mr. Smith grumbled and grimaced, and Izzy was glad that she had enough experience from child care in her teens to be able to bandage a "boo-boo."

"Oh, stop it," she chided smilingly. "I've known boys who cause less fuss than this."

"I know, but it hurts," he almost whined. The experience of patching up the Doctor was very new to Izzy, and though she hoped he never got injured again, she couldn't say that it was a useless one.

"Is he alright?" Martha burst through the room in her maids outfit, and again Izzy felt guilty about taking the position the med student was far more qualified for.

"Martha!" she breathed, trying to fight down the tone of close familiarity in her voice.

"Is he alright?" Martha asked more calmly, locking eyes with her friend. At Izzy's calming nod, she looked to Mr. Smith instead. "They said you fell down the stairs, sir."

"No, it was just a tumble, that's all," he waved off.

"Have you checked for concussion?"

"I believe I'd recognize the signs of a concussion," Izzy said with faux-confidence while her eyes really said _I'm not sure_ mixed in with _Help me!_

"Sorry." Martha seemed to get her meaning, because when Izzy moved away from Mr. Smith, Martha moved to the cabinets behind him to subtly inspect the wound. "I'll just… tidy your things."

Izzy leaned against the table as Mr. Smith spoke to the maid behind him. "I was just telling Nurse Brannen—Matron—um, about my dreams." He shifted his focus to Izzy. "They are… quite remarkable tales." Martha looked urgently over at Izzy, who forced herself to feign ignorance. "Um… I keep imagining that I'm someone else, and that I'm hiding."

"Hiding in what way?" Izzy asked with faux curiosity.

"Um…" he turned his hand in the air as if to pull words out of it. "Almost every night—" he chuckled embarrassedly, "this is going to sound silly."

"Tell me," she encouraged, not willing to admit to herself that she was dying to hear if she was in them.

"I dream, quite often, that—that I have two hearts." He smiled almost sheepishly.

Her gaze flickered to Martha, who was pretending not to listen as she moved about the room. She pulled her stethoscope out of her bag slowly. "Let's find out." Positioning them in her ears, she carefully placed the end to his left side. Hearing a steady thump as the man looked up at her, she moved tentatively to the other. When she only heard the sound of his breathing, she couldn't tell if she felt slightly disappointed or relieved. The one heart confirmed his disguise but further widened the gap between this man and her Doctor.

She pulled out of her reverie and smiled encouragingly at him. "Just one heartbeat, singular." She could nearly feel the same inner-conflict rolling off of Martha as well.

"I have, um…" Mr. Smith started to her turned back, "I have written down some of these dreams in the form of fiction." With her back to him as she put away her materials, she composed herself, keeping only innocent curiosity on her face, not the burning need to get a glimpse back into _her _Doctor. "Um… not that it would be of any interest."

She turned. "I'd be very interested."

"Oh?" he said, pleasantly surprised. "Well…" he rose, "I've never actually shown it to anyone before." He stood just in front of unnoticed Martha, who looked over his shoulder. He handed it gently to Izzy, who read it aloud.

"'Journal of Impossible Things.'" She turned the pages, revealing inky sketches of pieced of the Doctor's life: the sonic, figures before her time—she paused on the Dalek, "What imagination," she choked out.

"Ah, it's become quite a hobby," he said, pleased.

An alien face sat front and center on one page, a clock on another, or a masked Renaissance figure. "It's wonderful," she commented at almost a whisper, amazed at the drawing talent she never knew the Doctor had. She turned the page again, stopping at the inking of a beautiful woman amid scrawling intelligible writings. "And her? Who is she in this dream life?"

"She's just an invention," he said as if he needed to defend the fact that he was unattached. "This character—Rose, I call her," Izzy's eyes widened in recognition of the name and she instinctually studied the portrait more closely. "Seems to disappear, later on," he said casually. His unnatural ease in mentioning the name so precious to him brought Izzy back to her role. With a quick smile to him she continued through the pages of memories. She paused on a page picturing a miniature TARDIS in the right hand corner.

"Ah, that's the box," he commented, pointing, "the blue box." Further down the ship came to a larger scale, and Izzy felt a homesick pang for its comforting blue. "It's always there, um… like a—like a magic carpet. This funny little box that transports me to faraway places."

She touched the drawing almost fondly. "Yes, that funny little box," she mused quietly.

"Mm," Mr. Smith made a contented sound as she absent-mindedly flipped more pages. "I sometimes think how magical life would be if stories like this were true."

"If only," she sighed sadly.

"But it's just a dream," he chuckled. She dragged the corners of her mouth upwards to join his grin, but it didn't warm her cheerless eyes. She knew by Martha's look to her behind the Doctor's back that they would discuss the book later, in private.

XXXXXXXXX

Bundled in her warmest clothing, Izzy hiked away from the dirt road, to what she heard was a shortcut to the pub where Martha was said to be. Suddenly a high whining filled the air and the space behind her was lit green. Turning back around, she saw herself standing just outside of a wide beam of green light scanning over the road. It would pause a few seconds, then move on to another patch of the road. She almost stumbled over herself in backing up and ran across the green to the faint lights of human civilization.

"Martha!" she called when the woman was in view. When she saw they would not be alone, she checked the words about aliens sitting on the tip of her tongue.

"Matron," Martha half-stood, staying in character better than Izzy could, "are you alright?"

Catching her breath, Izzy looked between the sky and Martha. "Did you see that? There was something in the woods, following the road—this green light—like it was searching for something." She almost was about to pull Martha away to discuss it privately, but at that moment Mr. Smith decided to appear.

"Everything alright, ladies?" He pulled his gloves on, zeroing in on a still slightly out-of-breath Nurse Brannen. "Bit cold to be standing around in the dark."

Suddenly, the green appeared again, this time as a falling flame in the sky. "There!" she pointed, "in the sky." She tried to catch Martha's eye, "That's the same green I saw."

"That's beautiful," commented Martha's friend wistfully—_Jenny_, Izzy remembered.

"Ah," Mr. Smith's gaze after it lacked the Doctor's insatiable curiosity. "All gone. Commonly known as a meteorite." He looked down at Izzy, obviously trying to calm her. "It's just rocks falling to the ground that's all."

"But I saw it come down in the _woods_," Izzy continued for Martha's benefit.

"No, no, no," he said, very Doctor-like. "They always look close, when actually they're miles off. Nothing left but a cinder." Izzy stared after it, unconsciously leaning in the direction of its decent.

"Now," he started, looking down at Izzy again, "I should escort you back to the school."

"Oh, I—" Izzy started to protest, rather hoping to investigate the light with Martha, but he unknowingly cut her off.

"Ladies?" Mr. Smith turned back to the maids, not hearing the "nurse" speak.

"No, we're fine, thanks," Martha said with a far off look on her face that Izzy knew meant she was thinking hard about tracing the "meteorite."

"Then I shall bid you goodnight," nodded the gentleman and he turned away with Izzy into the night.

XXXXXXXXXX

Out of hearing range of the maids, Mr. Smith began small talk, to which Izzy answered politely but distractedly. Her thoughts were waist-deep in memories as the teacher rambled on about what scientists of 1913 knew about stars and space.

"'_Cause it all depends on you two. This watch—" the Doctor held it level with their eyes, "this watch is me."_

_Martha grabbed it. "Right, okay, gotcha." He ran around the controls and she lost all appearance of confidence, shoving the watch in Izzy's hands and following him. "No, hold on! Completely lost." His companions shared worried looks._

"_These creatures are hunters. They can sniff out anyone." He threw a lever, "And me being a Time Lord, well, I'm unique. They can track me down across the whole of time and space."_

"_So why are you getting excited?" Izzy asked, coming around to stand at Martha's side._

"_They can smell me, but they haven't seen me. And their life spans are running out, so we hide, wait for them to die."_

"_But as long as you smell like Time Lord, they can track us down." Izzy reminded._

"_That's why I've got to do it." He straightened to look at them evenly. "I have to stop being a Time Lord. I'm gonna become human."_

"_I didn't know that was an option," Izzy said, utterly confused._

_He made no response, looking instead up at a device high above their heads. "Never thought I'd use this," the device, a headset-like thing, lowered on its wire. "Oh, all the times I've wondered."_

_It stopped at his eye level. "What does it do?" Martha asked cautiously._

"_Chameleon Arch," the Doctor said steadily, "rewrites my biology. Literally changes every single cell in my body." He walked back to them, taking the watch gently from Izzy before moving back to the Arch. "I've set it to human. Now, the TARDIS will take care of everything—invent a life story for me, find me a setting and integrate me." After snapping the watch into place, he looked back at his companions, who had moved closer. "It can't do the same for you two. You'll just have to improvise, but avoid suspicion. I should have just enough residual awareness to let you in."_

"_But, hold on, if you're going to rewrite every single cell, isn't it going to hurt?" Martha queried._

"_Oh, yeah," he looked too unconcerned, "it hurts."_

Izzy looked up at Mr. Smith's animated, very human face. The undisturbed, perhaps slightly nervous—_I'll have to find out why later_—expression he wore was so different from the pain-filled screams she remembered.

XXXXXXXXX

Izzy patted the journal in her pocket as she walked to the edge of the stone courtyard, looking over the green at the shooting range. She paused at the half wall just hearing Mr. Smith speak in the absence of gunfire.

"Hutchinson, excellent work." The gunfire started again.

"Cease fire," the headmaster ordered upon approach.

"Good day to you, headmaster," the teacher said respectfully.

"You crew's on fine form today, Mr. Smith."

The boy's voice, Hutchinson's, was quieter, harder to hear. "…better. Latimer is being… shoddy."

Latimer's voice was even softer. "I'm… my best."

The headmaster's words were loud and clear. "You need to be better than the best. Those targets are tribesmen from the Dark Continent."

Latimer's voice was stronger now. "That's exactly the problem, sir. They only have spears."

"Oh dear me, Latimer takes it upon himself to make us realize how wrong we all are. I hope, Latimer, that one day you may have a just and proper war in which to prove yourself. Now, resume firing."

Izzy flinched slightly against the harsh sound again. She was glad when it stopped, but Hutchison was clearly not.

"Stoppage… Didn't I tell you, sir?... boy is useless." Izzy could clearly hear his next question, however. "Permission to give Latimer a beating, sir."

"It's your class, Mr. Smith," said the headmaster.

"Permission granted," Mr. Smith said with an ease that made Izzy's cheeks flush with anger and disappointment.

"Right, come with me you little oik." Hutchinson grabbed Latimer up by the collar and the entire group of students followed.

_Except Baines,_ she noticed. That boy's sleazy smile had chilled her more than once, but he seemed creepier than normal that morning.

Evidently Mr. Smith thought he was acting odd as well. "Anything the matter, Baines?"

Izzy could see the boy's mouth move, but he spoke too quietly to hear. He looked directly at her next, sniffing so exaggeratedly she could see his nostrils flare with the effort. He gave her a curious look, and then he too followed the pack.

The headmaster bid him goodbye, and the teacher finally noticed the woman in white, watching him.

"Ah, Pemberton, Smythe, Wicks, take post," he waved a hand. "Ah!" he said cheerfully, walking over to Izzy, "Nurse Brannen."

She removed her hand from the notebook. The flush of distaste was still present on Izzy's face as she spoke stiffly. "I'll give you back your book when I next see you."

"No, no, no, you don't have to."

"If you'll excuse me for saying so, Mr. Smith," she started, trying to keep her face impassive. "But from a nurse's standpoint, perhaps you could permit fewer beatings. I'd prefer not to have to use my medical kit more often than needed."

She walked away, leaving the man staring confusedly after her.

XXXXXXXX

"I don't know how to feel, being a part of that school for however short a time, watching boys learn how to kill," Izzy said briskly.

After her rather hasty departure, Mr. Smith caught up with the time traveler to make amends. Not quite understanding what he did wrong, as men are apt to do, he offered to escort her on a walk through the village to talk things out. Izzy couldn't trace the conversation exactly, but after appeasing her enough, they entered upon the topic of war.

His long legs easily kept up with her fast pace. "Don't you think discipline is good for them?"

"Does it have to be so focused on military discipline? I know they must prepare for war, but can't the students choose to study what they wish, stay away from war if they are not made for it? They will not find it so amusing when they are faced with the loss of life and limb in those trenches." Her voice took on a haunted tone.

"Well…" Mr. Smith placated. "Wait, you sound as if you expect another war, soon." He looked at her curiously and she realized her slip. "Great Britain is at peace now, long may it reign."

"It's just something I read in your journal. You wrote about next year, all those images of mud and wire."

"Those were just dreams."

She peered at him intently, trying to gage if he actually remembered anything. "You talked of a shadow, falling over the entire world."

"Well, then, we can be thankful it's not true."

Izzy looked down somberly. _If only, Doctor, if only._

His voice took a more positive light. "And I'll-I'll admit mankind doesn't need warfare and bloodshed to prove itself." They stopped and he turned to face her. "Everyday life can provide honor and valor and—" Izzy could feel her face begin to brighten, her heart warming at the sight of the Doctor shining through the human limitations. "Let's hope that, from now on, this-this," he paused as a bicycle rang, "country can find its heroes in smaller places… in the most… ordinary of…" Izzy turned to follow what was distracting him so thoroughly, "of deeds."

Suddenly he snatched a ball out of a small boy's hand and in the same motion lobbed it at the scaffolding pipes next to where two men were lifting a piano by rope. The pipes fell, landing on a wooden plank, which launched a brick high into the air just as the piano's rope broke. The brick clattered into an empty metal milk barrel, causing it to tip in front of a woman and her baby pram.

The woman cried out with a shriek just as the piano crashed to the ground, a short but safe distance from the baby and its mother.

Izzy looked at Mr. Smith with something like pride in her eyes. The man took a deep breath and surveyed his actions as the baby and the workers reacted.

"Lucky."

"Lucky?" Izzy said incredulously. "That was nothing short of amazing," she said with certainty and a small smile.

"Nurse Brannen, might I invite you to the village dance this evening, as my guest?" He asked hurriedly, excitedly.

Still in pride awe, she grinned widely. "You wonderful, wonderful man." Her cheerful mood pushed the worry about the impact of going on a date with the Doctor to the back of her mind. They shared a laugh.

XXXXXXXXX

On the walk home, Izzy decided to have a little fun. "If there's one thing I've gathered from your journals, is that this Doctor has quite the eye for the pretty ladies," she teased, thinking of the drawings of Rose.

"The Devil," he chuckled.

"A girl in every fireplace."

"Ah, now, there I have to protest, Isolde. That is hardly me."

Izzy skipped slightly in innocent merriment. "Says the man dancing with me tonight!" She had to admit, though she loved her adventures, she never really had many one-on-one conversations with the Doctor. And although this was not completely him, it was certainly the most freeing social interaction she'd had lately, with him or otherwise.

He gave a short chuckle before dropping off. "That scarecrow's all askew," he walked up the hillside to the limp doll.

Izzy sighed, following with a smile. She thought of something as he tied up the arms again. "Where did you learn to draw?" _I never heard you mention it before._

"Gallifrey." He answered without thinking.

Izzy hesitated, trying to feign ignorance still, when internally she leapt for bits of the Doctor. "Is that… in Ireland?"

"Yes, yes, it must be, yes."

Now she was curious about other holes in his background; perhaps the TARDIS had not erased the Doctor so completely. "But you're not Irish."

"No, not at all, no. My father, Sidney, was a watchmaker from Nottingham, and my mother Verity, was—um, well, she was a nurse, actually."

Izzy tried not to look so curious. She tried playful instead. "Oh, nurses make such good wives."

"Really? Right. Yes." He stepped back almost nervously and Izzy feared she brought her modernity too far. He collected himself, however. "Well, my work is done. What do you think?"

"Masterpiece," she praised, her grin bright again.

"All sorts of skills today," he joked, pleased with himself.

XXXXXXXXX

"Can I see?" Izzy asked gently when his pen lifted off the paper. He rose, settling next to her and handing over the notebook. She spread the pages wider in surprise. The dark hair blackened the page, several curls tumbling out of the plain bun atop her head, but instead of looking messy it made the girl in the picture look carefree, ethereal. Her lips were made fuller, her waiflike features accented, her eyes colored with the lightest touch, making them appear almost ghostly amid the darkest lashes.

"Oh, dear," she giggled, trying to hide her profound amazement. "Do I actually look like that? I no longer believe you pick pretty companions, it's just your talented, flattering hands."

He chuckled, but then asked earnestly, "You like it?"

"You've made me much too beautiful. Try again on a Monday morning," she joked.

"Well, that's how I see you," he said tenderly. Izzy looked up in shock, but threw on a smile in an attempt to disguise it.

"No, you can't mean that," she said, nervously trying to tuck a hair that had fallen from her bun out of her face.

"But I do," the man said ever more softly, gently pushing the dark strands behind her ear. Izzy froze, not looking him in the eye as he leaned in. How she had let this human Doctor get so close, she didn't have time to think on, because suddenly his lips were on hers and her mind was rocketing a thousand miles a minute on the present dilemma.

_He's actually kissing me. The Doctor's kissing me. No, not the Doctor, this is Smith, John Smith, the very human man with very nicely soft lips. Oh never mind his lips, this is still Mr. emotionally-unavailable Doctor! Oh, what would Martha think? Oh, I am so dead, I should really stop kissing him back now… Now. Right… now. _Izzy relaxed finally. _Oh, shut up._

Just as she let herself enjoy it, he pulled back. "I've never um…" he whispered.

His face was still close to hers, but Izzy felt the sore lack of his lips and in a rather instinctual move, decided to end that need. He met her kiss eagerly, deepening it and the part of herself that scolded her for snogging the Doctor while he wasn't all there was sent into a lonely corner of her mind.

The door knob turned and someone entered. Recognizing the maid, Izzy scooted away from the man as if burned.

"Martha, what have I told you about entering unannounced?" He shouted, angry for having been disturbed at such a personal moment.

With a betrayed look on her face, Martha ran from the room, nearly slamming the door shut behind her.

XXXXXXXX

"Martha! I'm sorry, I didn't mean for it to happen!" Izzy leaned against the TARDIS doors. "Please let me in, I want to talk."

Suddenly the wooden door creaked and she stumbled inside. She saw Martha look at her with a measure of surprise from her place at the console. She heard the ending of the Doctor's voiced and guessed correctly that her friend was looking at the recording her left them for guidance.

"The TARDIS must've let you in, stupid machine." Martha said, looking determinedly back at the screen and away from Izzy. Slowly Izzy approached the console. She stopped a few feet away from the girl, staring hard at the controls in front of her.

"It isn't him, you know," she said unhappily. Martha looked over to her briefly, but remembered her anger quickly. "Mr. Smith, I mean," Izzy continued. "It's just a man that looks like him. Sometimes I'll get a glimpse of the Doctor," she said in a far-away voice, "but then he says something or does something entirely human and I'm reminded of how much I miss him."

Martha still would not speak, and Izzy thought this may be the longest time that the med student had not voiced her opinions. She took it as a sign and turned full towards her friend. "You know, when this is over, and the Family is dead, he's gonna come back and forget he ever kissed me. Not literally, but you know him." Her voice was sad and soft. "He'll act like it never happened—and for him, it didn't. John Smith is a part of him, the human part, but the rest of him is every bit the complicated Time Lord you love. It's gonna hurt so much more for me than it will for him."

"But he's forgotten _me_," Martha rounded on her, eyes glistening. "He had to go and fall in love with a human, and it wasn't _me._"

Izzy put a comforting hand on Martha's arm and she could feel the woman give in. "It doesn't mean anything. I'm nothing more than a character in his story, Martha, that's all. I'm nothing, and it'll all go back to normal when we're safe again," Izzy said softly, though the truth of the words felt like they were burning her throat as she spoke. She may have captured a piece of the Doctor, but just as soon as she had started to love him back, he'd let her go—and it hurt, _oh yeah it hurts._

XXXXXXXX

Izzy twirled in her lavender 1913's style dress, the beaded bits sparkling. She thanked her lucky stars that the TARDIS had such an extensive closet, and Martha for finally grudgingly forgiving her and helping her actually find the dress. She put a smile on her face, trying to get in the cheerful mood for a date, but the thoughts of her earlier conversation with Martha weighing her down.

Mr. Smith's encouraging smile and compliment certainly went a ways towards lifting it, thankfully. "You look wonderful."

She grinned. "Maybe its best you'd warn me first, as my poor feet are at stake, but can you actually dance?"

The question gave him pause. "Um…" he looked at a place above her head, which was not at all hard to do. "I'm not certain?"

"Well, that's a surprise," Izzy smiled wryly. She held out her hands to him, and he took them with a small smile. "Why don't we find out beforehand? Just to know for certain," she gave a cheeky smile and he laughed as he pulled her into position.

Poised to start the waltz, Mr. Smith leaned down to press his lips to hers, and after some hesitation, she accepted his kiss. Her heart clenched in her chest to think that this attention would end in a few weeks, and her arms would be empty again, her lips untouched.

They broke for breath, the man smiling while Izzy kept her eyes closed for a longer moment, not wanting to see the Doctor's face waiting.

Just at that moment the door flew open and Martha through it, her head turned, giving Izzy a chance to step away from Mr. Smith fast.

"They've found us," Martha huffed, looking between the couple.

"What?" Izzy said in sudden shock.

"Martha, I've warned you," Mr. Smith cut her off, his hands on his hips exasperatedly.

"They've found us and I've seen them," Martha implored to him, pointing out the door. "They look like people, like us, like normal." The man just looked at her with a condescending face. "I'm sorry, but you've got to open the watch."

Martha and Izzy looked at the mantelpiece, which was worryingly empty of a watch.

"Where is it?" Martha gasped. When he gave no response she shifted papers on the mantle frantically. "Oh my God, where's it gone? Where's the watch?"

"What're you talking about?" he asked blankly.

"You had a watch, a fobwatch, sitting on the mantle," Izzy turned to him.

"Did I? I don't remember," Mr. Smith said frustratingly.

"But we need it," Martha pulled worried hands up to her face. "Oh my God Doctor, we're hiding from aliens and they've got Jenny. They've possessed her or copied her or something and you've got to tell me, where's the watch?"

Something dawned on him, finally. "Oh, I see." He turned to Izzy as if sharing inside knowledge. "Cultural differences." Izzy looked at him with a confused and disbelieving expression, but he didn't seem to catch it. He picked up the journal she had brought back, addressing Martha. "It must be so confusing for you," the Doctor's companion nodded. "Martha, this is what we call a story."

Martha raised her head in a mix of astonishment and almost revulsion. "Oh, you comlpete…" She gestured to all of him with her finger. "_This_ is not you. _This_ is 1913."

He nodded with the wide-stretched face someone would wear when encouraging a baby to eat. "Good, good. This is 1913."

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, but we've got to snap you out of this." She took on a determined face and raised her hand, the sound of it hard against his face made a ringing snap.

"Martha—" Izzy started in astonishment. Sure, she agreed he needed to remember himself if there was actual danger, but amnesia was never cured with a slap, no matter how hard it was.

"Wake up!" She shouted before he even recovered. Her voice hit fever pitch as she grabbed his arm and tugged. "You're coming back to the TARDIS!"

Mr. Smith struggled his arm out of her grasp. "How-how dare you. I'm not going anywhere with an insane servant. Martha, you are dismissed, leave these premises immediately." He dragged her to the open door and shoved her through it. "Now get out!"

The door shut and Izzy stared at the dark wood, frozen in shock. The teacher strode back to her, ruffled. "The nerve, the absolute cheek! You think I'm a fantasist, what about her?" he pointed to where Martha had exited.

Izzy refocused on his face, trying to think the best way through this. With the way he treated Martha as any example, she could not outright explain him into remembering. She needed to find that watch.

"She-she," Izzy stutter-started, "meant well. You did have a fob watch on the mantle though, a silver one with intricate designs on the top. Do you remember where you put it?"

He looked hard at the place it should have been, then blinked out of it. "No, I can't say I do." A took a deep breath and turned to her with a smile. "Well, I sincerely apologize for the dramatic circumstances. I believe we had a dance to attend?"

Izzy took his extended arm, but her mind was still on the watch. _Where could it have gone?_

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Spare a penny for the veterans of the army, sir?"

"Yes, of course," Mr. Smith pulled cold coins out of his warm pocket to give to the poor man, Izzy glad to be distracted from her defense of Martha. "There you are." She had to maintain the façade until the watch was found, but no way was she going to let Martha be dismissed if she was wrong about the aliens. On the walk there she had seen nothing suspicious, but if they were as well-disguised as Martha had claimed, she wouldn't be able to stop them so easily.

Once inside, the teacher led her immediately out to the dance floor as the announcer took the mic. "Ladies and gentlemen, please take your partners for a waltz!"

The music started and, keeping a steady gaze on her face, Mr. Smith led Izzy around the floor in the traditional waltz. How he could dance so well, Izzy guessed it was the many years of practice. For herself, she turned out to be a worse dancer than she thought; she kept her eyes on his but her feet were desperately working at not meshing his toes with hers.

Though her alien worries were lost in the movement, she still glanced nervously at her feet occasionally. "So you can dance," she said once after looking up again.

"I surprised myself!" They chuckled.

"No so sure about my own steps, but I haven't stumbled my way into you yet," she said, remembering her frequent run-ins with the Doctor's back or chest. Just as she said that, her elbow bumped into a round man's back.

"Oh, sorry," she tried to apologize profusely, but Mr. Smith moved her along with a smile.

"It's alright, it was my fault. You are dancing magnificently."

"Really?" she laughed. Her shoe stumbled on the toe of his. "Oh, I'm so sorry!" they stopped and she laughed. "I'm afraid you've jinxed it."

"That's quite alright," he guided her laughingly to a bench. "Wait here, I'll get us some refreshments."

She looked contentedly into the dancing crowd before a coated figure blocked her view. Martha sat down across from her at the table.

"Martha!" she gasped. "I am so sorry he threw you out like that. Are you alright? Are you sure they've found us."

"I _know_ they have." She looked almost bitterly at the room and at Izzy's dress. "I'm sorry to interrupt your dance, but they're after him and we need the Doctor back. Now."

"Hang on," Izzy said, affronted. "I wasn't going to this to spite you. I told you, us together means nothing in a few weeks, or less than that if we can find that watch. I was just buying us time," she assured. "He wouldn't listen to either of us I went 'crazy' too, no matter how much he seems to like Nurse Brannen."

Just then Mr. Smith approached with their drinks. His tone of exasperation seemed calmer after Izzy's defense on the maid's behalf. "Oh, now really, Martha, this has gotten out of hand. I must insist that you leave."

Instead of listening, Martha stood and took out the sonic, holding it up to him. "Do you know what this is? Name it." He looked confused and hesitant. "Go on, name it."

Izzy could see his arm twitching towards it. She stood excitedly, trying to keep her face calm. "John," she ventured, "do you remember it?"

He took it slowly from Martha, who smiled. "You're not John Smith. You're called the Doctor. The man in your journal is real, he's you."

He looked at Izzy with the same confused face. She gave him a tentatively encouraging smile, though she was inwardly dreading the beginning of the end of the man's affections for her.

Suddenly they were interrupted by a loud shout. "There will be silence! All of you! I said silence!" The man, a teacher if Izzy recalled correctly, held the authority of a violent threat.

"Mr. Clark! What's going on?" cried the announcer. Mr. Clark turned without a word and raised an oddly shaped green weapon to the man's face. He fired an equally green beam and the poor man disintegrated, filling the hall with screams.

Izzy grabbed Mr. Smith's arm urgently. "John, everything Martha told you, just forget it." Martha took the sonic from him as Izzy tried to backtrack. "Don't say anything to these people, to anyone."

"Silence!" Baines shouted, and Izzy fell quiet, bowing her head to hide her defiant eyes. "Now, then. We have a few questions for Mr. Smith."

"No," came a little girl's voice from behind the time travelers, "better than that." The girl walked forward, the balloon bobbing behind. "The teacher, he's the Doctor. I heard them talking."

"You took human form," Baines said crookedly, as if he were speaking of a quaint old woman.

"Of course I'm human!" said Mr. Smith. "I was born human as you Baines, and Jenny, and—" he struggled to fight against their certain looks, "and you Mr. Clark! What is going on? This is madness!"

"Oooh, and a human brain, too," Baines almost cheered in amusement. "Simple, thick, and dull." The others chuckled at the alien-Baines' joke.

"He's no good like this," Jenny said concernedly out of the side of her mouth.

"We need a full Time Lord," Mr. Clark said.

"Easily done," Baines stepped forward. He held up the gun to a wave of gasps. Mr. Smith stepped back. "Change back."

"What're you talking about?" Mr. Smith asked, confused to no end.

"Change back!" Baines shouted now.

The teacher raised his hands in frantic surrender. "I-I literally do not know—" he struggled.

Suddenly Jenny was behind Martha, eliciting a scream as the alien wound her arm around her neck. Martha looked cross-eyed at the gun pointed at her face. "Get off me!"

"Martha!" Izzy cried. "Let her go!"

"She's your friend, isn't she?" the thing-that-had-been-Jenny asked innocently, ignoring Izzy's outburst. "Doesn't this scare you enough to change back?" she pressed the gun closer to Martha's head, and any second now Izzy was expecting a full cackle from the alien.

"I don't know what you mean!" Mr. Smith said desperately.

"Wait a minute," Jenny said aloud. "The maid told me about Smith and the Matron. That woman there," she gestured with her head to Izzy.

"Then let's have you!" Mr. Clark grabbed Izzy's wrist just as Mr. Smith met her eyes.

"Let go of me!" Izzy tugged as he pulled her away from Mr. Smith. "He isn't what you're looking for, let me go!" She stopped in quiet fear as she felt the prongs of the alien gun to her temple. She looked to the man that had been the Doctor, her blue eyes apologetic but strong.

"Have you enjoyed it, Doctor?" Baines smirked. "Being human? Has it taught you wonderful things? Are you better, richer, wiser, hm?" Mr. Smith only stared helplessly at Izzy's pale face. "Then let's see you answer this: which one of them do you want us to kill?" Baines' voice lowered dangerously. "Maid or Matron? Your friend, or your lover?"

Izzy steeled herself against the weight of his words. She lifted her chin defiantly, locking eyes with Martha.

"Your choice."

XXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: Aaaaand cue dramatic exit music. I thought I'd give you guys a treat for sticking out through my horrible update habits. You're lucky I had so little homework today. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this—the next installment will come in about a week. No more back-to-back, sorry. Review with any comments, concerns, praise, complaints, whichever you like. And if you didn't like it at all? I can take that harsh news, too. I'm a big girl. As always, if you find any glaring typos, just let me know.**

**-Ellie**


	10. The Family of Blood

**Disclaimer:** All Doctor Who characters belong to their respective writers, actors, and most of all, the wonderful BBC. Izzy is mine.

**A/N:** First off—I know, I am a horrible person and a disgraceful hypocrite. I have become exactly the sort of author that peeved me. Truthfully, with all my other stresses, I just lacked the motivation.

Which brings me to my second point—a lovely review by **TheDoctorHarkness** (with the help of the holiday season) was the straw on top of it all to finally get my butt back in gear.

So as a holiday gift, late as it may be, enjoy this newest installment and the modest helping of angst it may bring.

XXXXXXXX

"Make your decision, Mr. Smith," barked Jenny while the teacher struggled to cope with the options.

"Perhaps if that human heart breaks the Time Lord will emerge." Baines mused while Mr. Clark leaned into to Izzy with a deep sniff. He leaned back in some surprise, looking ready to speak when a high whine interrupted him and the Family looked up and away.

The distraction provided enough leverage for Martha to overpower Jenny. With an angry squeal she wrestled the gun away from the alien and kept a threatening arm around its neck. The noise stopped and the crowd gasped when they realized the tables had turned.

"One more move," Martha pointed the gun at Baines, "and I shoot."

"Oh the maid is _full_ of violence," Baines said with a mad sense of excitement.

"And you can shut up!" Martha shot into the ceiling, eliciting more gasps.

"Careful, Son of Mine," Mr. Clark warned at Baines' crazed look. The robust body leaned more away from Izzy. "This is all for you, so that you can live forever." Baines merely inclined his head.

"Shoot you down?" The alien raised his gun.

"Try it," Martha challenged. "We'll die together."

His mouth twitched. "Would you really pull the trigger?" She pursed her lips in response. He looked smug. "Looks too scared," he taunted.

"Scared and holding a gun isn't a good combination. D'you wanna risk it?"

Baines looked to the still-conflicted Mr. Smith before the Family lowered their guns slowly. Mr. Clark let her go and Izzy let out a breath. She rushed away, back to Mr. Smith's side.

"Izzy? Get everyone out, there's a door on the side." Izzy hesitated, looking between her friend and the terrified crowd. "Go on!"

After a moment's pause, Izzy started towards the people. Mr. Smith still looked undecided. "Do what she says. Everyone get out, now!" she ushered. "Yes, out through the door. Everyone, all of you, no questions, they're madmen, that's all you need to know. All of you, out!" Screaming people pushed themselves out the door and through the gate, running blindly away from the threat. Mr. Smith finally joined her, ushering a student out from behind her.

"Go on, get back to the school, quickly!" he pushed the boy, Timothy, out the door.

"You too," Martha said steadily. "Go on, shift!"

"What about you?" Mr. Smith moved back towards her.

"Martha—" Izzy started to protest.

"Mr. Smith, I think you should escort your lady friend to safety, don't you?" Martha said coldly.

"No, Martha—" Izzy started back but Mr. Smith grabbed her by the arm and pulled her out through the door.

The teacher stopped her just outside the gate and started barking orders. "Mr. Hitch, warn the village, get everyone out." He turned to the student, his hand still around Izzy. "Latimer, get back to the school and tell the headmaster—"

The boy pulled away. "Don't touch me! You're as bad as them." Mr. Smith stared after the running boy in shock and Izzy used the opportunity to pull her arm free.

"Doctor, she'll be killed! We have to go back in!"

Mr. Smith looked at her fully. His face had a broken look to it, similar to the tortured expression the Doctor so often wore, but different. Just like everything else with him—like the Doctor, but so very much not him. "So you believe her? You were a companion to him, too?"

"Yes, I was—," she started. "John, I—"

The sudden arrival of Martha cut her off. "Don't just stand there, move!" She pushed and fled past them, "God, you're rubbish as a human. Come on!"

Mr. Smith recovered and grabbed Izzy's hand to run, like the Doctor often did. Izzy pulled up the dress a bit, her mind busy with careful words that later might possibly explain everything to the man. Her growing care for him made it much more difficult to treat him as Martha did—like an obstacle to overcome to get to the Doctor, or a setting on a machine that refused to cooperate. Everything with Mr. Smith—much like his doppelganger—seemed to make things difficult for her.

XXXXXXXXX

They slowed their sprint when they reached the main hall. Mr. Smith grabbed a hand bell from the table beside him and began to ring it loudly.

"What're you doing?" Martha protested.

"Maybe one man can't fight them but this school teaches us to stand together." He shouted in a louder voice, "Take arms! Take arms!"

"Stop doing that!" she shrieked.

"You want to fight, don't you?" He shouted back. "Take arms! Take arms!"

Hutchinson pulled on his coat and stopped in front of the teacher on the stairs. "I say sir, what's happening?"

"Enemy at the door, Hutchinson," Mr. Smith still rang the bell, "enemy at the door! Take arms!"

XXXXXXXXX

"You can't do this, Doctor. Mr. Smith!" Martha pleaded as the teacher rushed to instruct the students. "There's no point! You can't ask them to fight, they won't stand a chance."

He stopped and zeroed in on her. "They are cadets, Miss Jones. They are trained to defend the King and all his citizens and providences."

Izzy stepped in. "Yes, John, but—"

The headmaster cut her off. "What in thunder's name is this?" he stormed. "Before I devise an excellent and endless series of punishments for each and every one of you, could someone explain," Mr. Smith neared him calmly, "very simply and immediately what the hell is going on?"

"Headmaster, I regret to report that the school is under attack."

"Really? Is that so?" His thunder stolen, his tone became grim. "Perhaps you and I shall have a word in private."

"I promise you, sir, I was in the village with Matron. It's Baines, sir, Jeremy Baines and Mr. Clark from Oakham Farms, they've gone mad, sir. They've got guns—they've already murdered people in the village, I saw it happen."

The headmaster looked steadily at Izzy. "Matron, is that so?"

She glanced at Mr. Smith. "I'm afraid it's true, sir."

"Murder? On our own soil?"

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes."

"Perhaps you did well then, Mr. Smith. What makes you think they're coming here?"

"Well, sir," the teacher hesitated, "they sent, um—"

"Baines threatened Mr. Smith, sir," she covered quickly. "Said he'd follow him, we don't know why. Part of his madness."

"Very well. You boys, remain on guard, Mr. Snell, the police, Mr. Phillips, with me. We shall investigate." He headed for the door.

"Wait!" Izzy moved to caution. "Sir, with all due respect, it's not safe out there."

"Matron, I believe I can handle it for now," the headmaster pushed past her with self-imbued superiority dripping from his voice.

The two men exited the room. Izzy grabbed Martha by the hand. "We've got to find that watch."

With a quick nod from Martha, the time travelers ran as quickly as their dresses would allow out of the room.

XXXXXXXX

"It's got to be here somewhere," Martha rifled through the papers. "Where could it have gone?"

Izzy rose from her place on the floor searching under furniture. "What can he do, when he comes back? I mean, we've been hiding for a reason, are they seriously that dangerous?"

"Got to be," Martha paused. "But he'll win, just like he always does."

"But what will we have to sacrifice to do it?" She looked at Martha, hard. "There's always a price with winning, you know there is. These boys? I won't let them be the loss in _our _alien war. Not this year, not if I can help it." Standing up, she let out a frustrated breath. She strode determinedly to the door.

"Where're you going?"

"The watch is here in the school, I _know_ it is. If we can find the watch, we can stop the fight. Those students won't die tonight." She opened the door and shouted behind her as she started down the hall. "You keep looking, I'll search everywhere else!"

XXXXXXXX

Izzy was rummaging through her medical supplies just as Mr. Smith and two other students walked into the main hall.

"You're with Armitage and Swipes, you know the drill," he pointed and the boys hurried off. He stopped at her side, towering over her. "It's not safe here."

"I know it may not look it, but I can take care of myself." She assured firmly, not looking up from her search through the bag. She had hoped that somehow the watch had fallen into her things.

"Isolde, please, I won't see you in danger."

"John, I'm sorry," she whipped up her head, "but I have to find that watch." Students trooped by.

The strength in the man's face dimmed. When the steps passed, is face fell to an expression that bordered desperation.

"How can you think I'm not real?" he leaned. "When I kissed you, was that a lie?"

"No, no" she said rapidly, then pulled her arms to her chest as if to hold herself in. "No, it wasn't a lie. But it wasn't meant to happen." She looked up at him, her eyes begging him to understand.

"We were supposed to hide, acting out our roles until we could be ourselves again. You are a character in this world, like I am in the Doctor's story. You were not supposed to care for me anymore than you did before—I was not supposed to care. I'm not allowed to care—for him or for you! I'm only human," she stopped herself, sounding almost frustrated. Her eyes blinked harshly. "This makes everything so much more complicated."

She looked back to him. He had leaned closer to her, looking down with heartbroken eyes. He looked so entirely human in that moment. "The Doctor has to come back," her voice sounded thin, strangled with a confession she seemed to be half-heartedly fighting. "But I don't want you to go."

His lips were suddenly on hers, cautious at first. Quick as the kiss was, it seemed to linger, desperate and sad but still passionate, as if to persuade her of his reality. After what felt like years, the man pulled away regretfully, giving Izzy a chance to recover.

"Mr. Smith, please!" a student called.

"I have to go," he said, conflicted. He started to step away but she caught his hand.

"Martha was right before. Doctor or not, the John Smith I had the _privilege_ to get to know would not stand for this. These boys do not deserve to fight an enemy they could never understand. They are not alien-killers, they are just boys—this is not their war, not yet. It's wrong, you know it is." She dropped his hand.

"What choice do I have?" He started backing away toward the doorway.

"There's always a choice, the Doctor knew that," she said after his retreating form. When she could hear no footsteps, she ran toward his office, toward Martha.

She had just come to his door when she heard a frustrated shriek from inside the room. Martha burst through the open doorway and upon seeing Izzy, grabbed her arm and lead her back to the way she came.

"It's not there. Have you found anything?"

"I've looked in every plausible place. One of the students must have it." Izzy's voice shook slightly with each rushed step down the stairs.

"Where's the Doctor?" Martha asked when they reached the floor.

"Out to fight, said he had no choice." They ran past an open room. Izzy caught a glimpse of gun smoke through the window pane. "In here," she pulled Martha inside.

Just short of pressing their faces to the glass, they watched the scene outside intently. In little time the scarecrows fell in a heap; the headmaster stepped out over the bodies, then fell back hurriedly. The smallest of the Family came through the open gates, and Mr. Rocastle seemed to be trying to coax her closer.

"No, stop!" Martha gasped. She pulled away from the window, out the room and out into the yard, followed closely by Izzy.

"…Cartwright girl, isn't it?" the headmaster was saying, extending a hand to the little girl. "Come here, come to me."

"Mr. Rocastle!" Martha burst through the main doors. "Please, don't go near her."

"It is not your post to advise me, Miss Jones," he said snidely back to her.

"Just _listen_ to me. She's part of it. Matron, tell him."

"Sir, please, get back. She's not safe!" Izzy urged.

"_Mr. Smith_," Martha whispered with meaning.

"She was—she was in the village with Baines," the teacher added shakily, holding his long gun stiffly.

"Mr. Smith," Rocastle began sternly, "I've seen many strange things this night, but there is no cause on God's earth that would allow me to see this child in the field of battle, sir." He extended his hand again to the girl. "Come with me."

"You're funny," the girl said is a hollow tone that reminded Izzy of every creepy child in every scary movie she had ever seen. _Never listen to the creepy child._

"That's right. Take my hand."

"So funny." The girl reached into her pink coat and pulled out the alien gun. The headmaster's puzzled face ended in a scream as he was disintegrated in a green flash. The girl lowered the weapon with a pleased look on her face. "Now who's gonna shoot me? Any of you, _really_?"

"Put down your guns," Mr. Smith motioned stiffly.

"But sir, the headmaster…"

"I'll not see this happen, not any more. We will retreat, in an orderly fashion back through the school. Hutchinson, lead the way."

"But sir—" the student started, looking between his professor and the approaching figure of Baines.

"I said lead the way," the man pressed. Baines stepped between the scarecrow bodies with an air of calm—the calm of someone assured of their inevitable success.

"Go on then, run!" Baines said enthusiastically, shooting into the air. "Run!"

Shouts started up around the school, and the boys lost all order in their rush to flee. "Come on," Izzy pushed them through the doors, "come along."

The adults positioned themselves at the corners of the passageway, guiding the students.

"Let's go, quick as you can!" Mr. Smith urged to the stream of young men.

"Don't go to the village," Izzy shouted after them, "it's not safe!"

"And you ladies!" Mr. Smith closed the door to the outside.

"Not till we've got all the boys out." Izzy shook her head stubbornly with Martha.

"Now, I insist," Mr. Smith spun on his heels to race to another door. "I'm telling you, just go. If there're any more boys inside, I'll find them." He opened the door they had shut but closed it immediately after with a panicked expression. Izzy assumed the enemies must be at the door. "I think, retreat!" He locked it and they took off towards the woods.

XXXXXXXXX

"Doctor!" came a loud, taunting call. "Doctor!" The trio leaned from behind cover to glimpse the moonlight reflecting off the blue of the TARDIS, unfortunately guarded by Mr. Clark and a few scarecrows. His companions leaned on either side of him as Mr. Smith knelt to the ground.

"Come back, Doctor. Come home! Come and claim your prize."

"Out you come, Doctor," Baines joined. "There's a good boy. Come to the Family."

"Time to end it now!" Jenny shouted, almost tunefully.

"You recognize it, don't you?" Martha asked quietly, suggesting the TARDIS.

"Come out, Doctor. Come to us!" The aliens continued.

"Never seen it in my life," Mr. Smith said plainly, stiffly.

"Do you remember its name? You wrote about it, John." She put a comforting hand on his shoulder, drawing his full attention. "The blue box? You dreamt about the blue box."

"I'm not—I'm John Smith," he started frantically, "that's all I ever want to be. John Smith," his eyes shone with desperate tears, "with his life, and his job, and his love!" He looked to her with such an expression of hopelessness that Izzy could swear something in her chest broke at the sight of it. She tried to comfort him, for her sake and his. "Why can't I be John Smith? Isn't he a good man?"

"Yes, of course he is," Izzy soothed, absolutely sure of that fact. Martha on his other side said nothing. Izzy knew all she wanted was for John Smith to finally give way to the Doctor. She did not care for the teacher any more than she would a stranger.

"Why can't I stay?" the man's voice was ragged and desperate, the desperation of a man who knew he was fighting a losing battle. He put a hand to his mouth to stop himself, attempting composure.

"But we need the Doctor," Martha broke the quiet. She stared wistfully at the TARDIS.

He turned to her in a sort of shock. "Who am I then? ...Nothing?" The hopelessness crept into his voice again as he stood. "I'm just a story!"

He left, and before taking off after him, Izzy glanced at her friend. And for the first time, Martha seemed to be feeling the gravity of what they had to do.

With an urgent look, Izzy helped Martha up by the arm. "We have to catch up to him. And hurry, I think I know a place where we can hide out."

XXXXXXXXXXX

"There it is," Izzy stopped at the sight of a small house. She, along with everyone else, was a little out of breath from the run there. "I found it the other week. I'm glad I remembered how to get here." She clutched her side.

"But who lives here?" Martha breathed.

Her face grew sad. "If my hunch is right, no one. Not anymore."

They hurried to the door. It creaked open easily, no protests from the owners or the barks of a guard dog. There was tea set out on the table in delicate china. The furnishings otherwise were simple, modest.

"There's no one home. We should be safe here, for a time."

"Who's house is this?" Martha asked, taking in the scene.

"The Cartwright's. I met them on a walk, they invited me for tea here." Izzy sighed. "That girl, the one the Family was possessed, her name was Lucy Cartwright. I thought she might have come home this afternoon, and if her parents tried to stop their daughter, then…" she trailed off. The rest could be implied. She put a hand on the teapot; it was cold as death, and she informed them so.

Mr. Smith's face was a mask of shock and sorrow. He sat down in the chair at the head of the table. She watched him carefully. "I must go to them, before anyone else dies." He said it to Izzy's face, almost like a question.

Izzy moved next to the man to comfort him. "Martha, think of every solution—is there anything we can do?" she implored.

"Not without the watch," Martha said dispassionately.

"You're the Doctor's companions," Mr. Smith attacked, though he seemed to solely address Martha, "can't you help? What exactly do you do for him? Why does he need you?"

"John!" Izzy choked. He kept his angry gaze on Martha, who seemed to be struggling.

"Because he's lonely," she said finally.

"And that's what you want me to become?" he asked with a hint of incredulity. Martha gave him a look as if she thought his accusations were unfair, as if he was not allowed to make it her choice.

There was a sudden knock at the door that drew all attention.

Izzy's blue eyes were blazing in the dim room. "What if it's them?" she asked with tense calm.

Martha had a passive edge to her words, as if she had accepted the uncertainty of the situation. "I'm not an expert, but I don't think scarecrows knock." She stepped to the door cautiously and with a short breath in, turned the knob.

Izzy could not see through the crack Martha had opened, but she could hear a young voice. "I brought you this," the voice said, to Martha's silence.

XXXXXXXXX

"Hold it."

"I won't."

"Please, just hold it," Martha begged gently, her hand cupping the fob watch out to the man.

"It told me to find you; it wants to be held," Latimer said calmly from the shadows.

"If you had the watch all this time," Izzy was standing now, close to Martha, "why didn't you return it to us earlier?"

"Because it was waiting. And, because I was so scared… of the Doctor."

"Why?" Izzy turned fully towards him, her electric eyes searching his. Instead of flinching from the pressure, the boy seemed to be looking into some far off place. He started slow, like forming a story, or recalling a picture to mind.

"Because—I've seen him." He stepped out of the shadows towards Mr. Smith. His words gained momentum. "He's like fire and ice and rage. He's like the night, and the storm in the heart of the sun."

"Stop it," Mr. Smith hissed.

Latimer continued, unfazed. He wasn't truly there, he was off in a place of his own memory, and his voice echoed with it. "He's ancient and forever. He burns at the center of Time and can see the turn of the universe."

"Stop it!" Mr. Smith said more strongly. "I said stop it."

"And… he's wonderful," the boy came back to the present and locked eyes with the man. Izzy's chest tightened with a growing ache and a warmth she knew came entirely from thoughts of the Doctor. She could see a happy wistfulness on Martha's face. Slowly, she drew out the journal from her coat pocket.

"Perhaps there's something in here that could help us," she tried.

"Those are just stories," Mr. Smith snapped.

Izzy started towards him with a hard edge to her eyes. "Now you know that's not true."

A thunderous blast interrupted them, accompanied by a flash. "What the hell?" Martha cried as the company rushed to the windows. Another _boom_ followed, caused by a fiery projectile crashing into the area towards town. The twin fires lit up the sky.

"They're destroying the village," Izzy said shakily as more missiles crashed to earth.

"Watch," Mr. Smith whispered, snatching it from Martha and moving away from the group.

"John," Izzy breathed before she could catch herself.

"Can you hear it?" Latimer asked quietly.

"It's asleep," Mr. Smith said with a tone of wonder as he stared at the device, "waiting to waken."

"Why did he speak to me?"

"Oh, low level telepathic fields, you were born with it. Just an extrasynaptic engram causing—" the Doctor's voice stopped with Mr. Smith's deep breath. The signature confidence Izzy had so missed fell into the despair that had recently become so common on the man's face. It only made her heart ache more.

Mr. Smith looked down at his hands in horror. "Is that how he talks?"

"That's him!" Martha said excitedly, her hope revitalized. "All you have to do is open it, and he's back."

Izzy felt a pang of something like animosity towards the woman's eagerness to essentially end a man's life. Another blast shook the ground, closer this time.

Mr. Smith's eyes flashed to the light. "You knew this all along and yet you watched while Nurse Brannen and I—and you," he turned to Izzy, "you let me feel—while all along you knew it too?" Izzy choked on words that would not come.

Martha strode forward imploringly. "I didn't know how to stop you. He gave me a list of things to watch out for but that wasn't included."

"Falling in love? That didn't even occur to him?" Mr. Smith said in shock.

"No," Martha breathed, sharing a look with Izzy.

"That wasn't his way," Izzy finally said in a feeble voice.

"Then what sort of man is that?" Mr. Smith countered thickly. "And now you expect me to die?" A blast shook again, even closer.

"It was always going to end though! The Doctor said the Family's got a limited life span, that's why they need to consume a Time Lord. Three months and then they die; like mayflies, he said."

"So your job was to execute me?" Now he looked betrayed, and Izzy's heart wrenched.

"People are dying out there," she continued. "And they need him, and I need him, 'cause you've got _no_ idea what he's like and I've only just met him and it wasn't even that long ago, but… He is everything. He is just everything to me and he doesn't even look at me but I don't care. Because I love him to bits." Izzy watched her with a portion of surprise, not about Martha's love—the Doctor must be a blind man to be ignorant to Martha's affections and tendency towards jealousy—but toward the confession itself. Martha whispered Izzy's same concerns. "And I hope to God he won't remember me saying this."

The ground shook again. "It's getting closer," Timothy stated.

Mr. Smith gasped and moved to the shadows. "I would have thought of it before," he held up the watch in one hand, "I can give them this! Just the watch, then they can leave and I can stay as I am."

"You can't do that!" Martha started angrily.

"If they want the Doctor they can have him."

"He'll never let you do it," Martha threatened.

"And if they get what they want then-then—"

Izzy looked at him with sad eyes. "Then it all ends in destruction." Mr. Smith looked at her hopelessly. "Not just for the village. If they get the Doctor, then the Family will live forever, to breed and conquer. They would rage a war across the universe, in every world." She looked at the broken man carefully. "For every child."

She looked between the room's other occupants. "Martha, Timothy," she took a deep breath, "could you give us a moment, please?" Martha gave her a cautious look, but slowly walked towards the door with the student at a nod from the dark-haired woman. Mr. Smith let out small sobs with their progress.

As the door closed, Izzy strode towards the tall man and reached to wrap her arms around him as best she could. He collapsed into her with racking sobs. Izzy knew this would be the hardest thing she had ever done.

XXXXXXXXX

"If there was some way…" her voice died off. She knew there was none. All she could do was comfort the doomed man. "But this is the most impossible situation."

"He won't love you," Mr. Smith looked from the watch to her.

"Oh, I would never expect him to—I'm not that important," she assured. "I hadn't ever expected _you _to, or for me to care so much…" she let out a shaky breath.

"You are important to me." He said at a whisper.

"Oh, John," she said with a sad smile, "that only makes things intolerably harder."

"But it was real wasn't it? I really felt—" she put a hand on his, the one holding the watch.

Suddenly she could see images, _John in a crisp suit, her in a white dress, wedding bells clanging. John smiling as she passed him their first child, a baby girl with a tuft of dark hair. Three children, young but growing, skipping in the leaves of an English autumn, John and Izzy trailing with the happiest of smiles. She still looked so young, why did she look so young? Children grown, an older John and Izzy, she looked like only a year had passed, not a lifetime. Why was she still so young?_

Izzy blinked hard in confusion. Beside her Mr. Smith gasped in shock. He looked at her desperately. "Did you see that? Our children, us married and old and happy?"

She wondered if he had somehow seen something different. Maybe she just couldn't imagine herself older; she had a hard time enough imagining herself without the Doctor, even if the vision told her she'd stayed.

"A Time Lord could never have a life like that; he could never stay with me," she said with a calm sadness. "Those were just stories, a bunch of happy endings that could have been." He breathed heavily and stared hatefully at the watch.

"What're you going to do?" she asked gently. He took a deep breath in and made to push the button. "Wait," she stopped him. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she leaned him close and whispered. Her eyes were the brightest blue, then: "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

With a simple goodbye kiss, the brave man pressed down on the silver button.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Is it done?" Izzy met him at the foot of the high grassy hill.

"It's done." They stood there for a moment, in a heavy sort of quiet.

"I saw the army and the police at the school, and a rather large mob of mothers to take their boys back home. There's something terrifying about so many mothers in one place," she tried for a smile. He gave her a faint on in return. "I almost feel bad, not staying to explain, not that I would really know how. I've horribly neglected my matronly duties." Her weak attempt at humor was just that, weak. He just continued to watch her face carefully, as if he expected her to break at any moment. Finally her smile fell and she gave up. Instead she watched him curiously.

"Where is he, then?"

The Doctor sighed and started slowly up the hill. Folding her arms, Izzy followed. "He's in here somewhere."

"Like a story inside your head?" She glanced at him, then looked at her moving feet. "He was brave you know, in the end. I don't think Martha quite appreciated how brave. You chose to change," this time she set her cerulean gaze on him, "he chose to die."

"Do you miss him?"

"A bit, yeah. We had fun, for a little while." Her volume dropped. "He was kind, and funny, in a bumbling sort of way. And a brilliant artist, to boot," her smile was faint, but genuine. "What more could a girl ask for in a man?" she joked.

"You know, everything that John Smith is and was, I'm capable of that, too," the Doctor ventured in a low voice, a voice that could mean anything. But her heart was sore and had no room to support such hope.

She looked at him, hard. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye as they approached the TARDIS and Martha at the top of the hill. "Not everything, Doctor."

She looked down again, missing his look of mild surprise. The moment passed, he looked up to Martha. "Right then! _Molto bene_!"

Izzy stopped next to Martha, leaning against the TARDIS. Martha turned to the girl with a caring look. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

Izzy was surprised, but Martha _did _seem happier since the Doctor changed back. And a happy Martha meant a nice Martha. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said with a shrug, though she knew playing the whole ordeal off casually was unhealthy, she still felt no desire to talk about it. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Martha narrowed her eyes at her disbelievingly before facing the Doctor. "Meant to say, back there, last night, I would've said anything to get you to change," she said animatedly to prove her point.

"Oh, yeah, of course you would, yeah."

"I mean, I wasn't really…"

"No, no, no," the Doctor agreed.

"Good."

"Fine."

"So there we are then."

"There we are then."

They were briefly distracted by a snort from Izzy. She's tried to hide a laugh behind her hand at the awkwardness of their dialogue, but was failing. She quieted at their confused expressions. "Sorry, I was thinking about kittens."

The Doctor gave her a wide smile. Martha still looked confused. "Oh," he looked between both of them, "and I never said: thanks for looking after me." He took the final step and wrapped Martha in a bear hug, then Izzy.

"Doctor! Martha!" a voice startled them into separating. "Izzy," Timothy Latimer approached them.

"Tim, Timothy, Tim-ah," the Doctor cheered in response.

"I just wanted to say goodbye, and thank you," he started cryptically, "because I've seen the future and I now know what must be done. It's coming isn't it? The biggest war ever."

"You don't have to fight," Martha offered.

"I think we do."

"But you could get hurt," Izzy pressed. _You could get killed_.

"Well, so could you two, traveling around with him. That wouldn't stop you." Izzy and Martha shared a smirk of agreement.

"Tim," the Doctor held out his hand to the boy. In it was the empty watch. "I'd be honored if you'd take this." So the boy did.

"I can't hear anything,' he looked almost disappointed.

"No," the Doctor shook his head, "it's just a watch now. But keep it with you, for good luck."

The Doctor started towards the TARDIS, but Izzy hugged the boy. Even on the slope he was taller than her. "Thanks for bringing him back to us," she whispered in his ear with a genuine smile. She gave him a peck on the cheek. Martha followed with her own take-care message. She kissed him on the other cheek, and Izzy could have sworn the boy blushed pink.

The Doctor held the door open for his companions, but before he followed them himself, Izzy could hear him say one last thing to Timothy.

"You'll love this bit."

Then next time she would see Timothy Latimer, he would be an aged and weary man in a wheelchair, clutching the ticking silver gift in his gloves. She smiled a sad smile to the veteran and positioned her pin as she watched a tear roll down his cheek.

XXXXXXXXXXX

**A/N: **And done. Thank you for your patience, you wonderful people. And if you were impatient? Well, you're still wonderful, because I fully deserve your impatience as well.

**Au ****revoir****, Ellie**


End file.
